
Glass. 



Book Vlfc 








PUBLISHED BY THE 

PEFARTMENT Of AGKICULTU1 

AND 

IMMIGRATION 

'COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF GEO.W.KOINER COMMISSIONER 





FX$/ 



nil 



SPECIAL REQUEST 

Parties purchasing farm land in Virginia are requested to send 
me their names and permanent Virginia address to be put on the 
regular mailing list of the Department, of Agriculture for such 
bulletins as we issue monthly on practical farm subjects, ferti- 
lizer and seed analyses. I will be glad to have letters from farm- 
ers as to improved methods of farming. 

G. W. Koiner, 

Commissioner. 



Department of Agriculture and Immigration of 
the State of Virginia 



GEORGE W. KOINER, Commissioner 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION 



MEMBERS 



DISTRICT 



P. O. ADDRESS 



N. W. NOCK 

FRANK LINDSAY. 

J. S. TAYLOR 

T. J. ARVIN 


First congressional district 

Second congressional district 

Third congressional district 

Fourth congressional district 


Onancock. 
Portsmouth. 
Beach. 
Double Bridge. 


J. M. BARKER 


Fifth congressional district 

Sixth congressional district 


Axton. 


B.D.ADAMS 


Red Oak. 


J. JAMES MILLER 

J. J. CRIM 

JAMES R. GOODWIN. . . 

W. W. SPROUL I 

P. B. BARRINGER 


Seventh congressional district 

Eighth congressional district 

Ninth congressional district 

President V. P. I. (ex-officio) 


Hawlin. 

Lovettsville. 
Eggleston. 
Middlebrook. 
Blacksburg. 



OFFICERS OF THE BOARD 

President J. M. BARKER Axton, Va. 

Secretary B. D. ADAMS Red Oak, Va. 



VIRGINIA 



Introductory 



Virginia is the ideal home for the farmer. The agricultural 
progress in this State during the past decade has been unpre- 
cedented in the history of the State. Better farming can be seen 
on every hand. This has been brought about by the diversification 
of the great variety of crops that are now grown in Virginia, by 
the use of modern labor-saving machinery, the more careful im- 
provement and cultivation of the soil, by improvement in breeding 
live stock and growing more grass and forage crops (one-fourth of 
our farmers now derive their principal income from live stock), by 
large increase and care of the orchards, and in the extension of 
the great trucking fields. All of these improvements have in- 
creased the value of the crops in Virginia immensely. These 
values have increased in Virginia from $129,000,000.00 produced in 
1900 from 4,000,000 acres to $236,000,000.00 produced last year 
from 3,300,000 acres. Our farmers have learned to produce 
$107,000,000.00 more crops on 750,000 acres less land cultivated 
the past year than they did ten years ago. 

The soils in Virginia are the kindest in the world. They endure 
more hard knocks, skinning and starving, and are more quickly 
improved to a high degree of crop production than any other State. 
The ample rainfall and salubrious climate as found in this State 
are both conducive to this fact. Yet, the cheapest farming lands 
in the United States are to be found in Virginia, but the large in- 
flux of land buyers is increasing the value of our lands each year. 



VIRGINIA BEATS THE WEST 

The great advantage in the nearby large Eastern markets is 
being appreciated by the Western land buyer. The value of an 
acre of corn in Missouri is SI 5.58, in Kansas $10.75, in Mrginia 
$16.79. In each of these States the prices of lands are three times 
as high as in Virginia. 

Virginia orchards grow the world's best flavored apples. The 
famous Albemarle Pippin brings the highest price in foreign 
markets. Some orchards in this State yielded crops last year that- 
sold as high as $500.00 per acre. There are now many large com- 
mercial orchards growing in the State. 

BEEF CATTLE 

Virginia is the only State that exports beef cattle direct from the 
blue grass pastures. Many thousands of head of highly bred cattle 
are exported from the grassy slopes of A'irginia to the English 
markets each year. 

ALFALFA 

Virginia has now growing the largest alfalfa farm in the East. 
400 acres produced more than $30,000.00 in alfalfa hay crop last 
year, on one farm. 

MINERALS 

Virginia presents probably the most promising field for in- 
vestment in its vast resources of almost every known commercial 
mineral product. Building stone of all kinds, slate, soapstone, 
clays of all kinds, coal, coke, iron, lead, zinc, pyrites, copper, 
manganese, salt, marble, asbestos, and gold. Cheap fuel, timber, 
water in abundance, transportation facilities are the best, and 
climatic conditions are such that outdoor work can be carried on 
the year around. Hampton Roads last year shipped more coal 
than any port in the world. Mineral lands are offered at reasonable 
prices and every facility is offered to induce capital to undertake 
the development of these products. No State produces a greater 
variety of mineral waters nor contains such a number of medicinal 
springs, situated in a delightful climate, offering ideal locations 
for summer and health resorts, some of which are now world famous. 



10 

FORESTS 

The forests of Virginia abound in an unusual variety of woods, 
especially the valuable hardwoods so valuable in modern con- 
struction. In these forests are found every wood known in 
Southern soils, except the sub-Tropical. 

COMMERCIAL FACILITIES 

In respect to ready access to the markets for the products of 
her soil, of her factories, and her inexhaustible beds of coal and 




A MODERN VIRGINIA FARM HOME 



other minerals, as well as in respect to facility of purchase from the 
world without, Virginia is most favorably situated. Eleven 
trunk lines penetrate the State and with their numerous branches 
and connections place every section of the State in communication 
with every principal port and city in the country. 

The lines of steamboats that ply the navigable streams of 
Eastern Virginia afford commercial communication for large 
sections of the State with the markets of this country and Europe. 
Norfolk and Newport News are ports that maintain communication 
with foreign markets by means of sea-going vessels, while an 
extensive commerce is kept up along the Atlantic seaboaad. The 
harbor of Hampton Roads is the largest, the deepest, and the 



11 

safest on the Atlantic coast. This port is nearer the great centre 
of population than New York. Chicago is nearer by direct line 
to Hampton Roads than it is to New York City. 

VIRGINIA, THE BEST STATE TO LIVE IN 

No State in the Union offers more attractive inducements or 
extends a more inviting hand to the homeseeker and investor than 
Virginia. In climate, diversity of soils, fruits, forests, water supply 
mineral deposits, and variety of landscape, including mountain 
and valley, hill and dale, she offers advantages that are unsurpassed. 

The sun never illumined a more beautiful country, the plowman 
never turned a kinder soil, and the stranger never shook the hand 
of a more hospitable people. 

Virginia is most centrally located in the Atlantic tier of States, 
being midway between Maine and Florida. It lies between the 
extreme of cold and heat, removed alike from the sultry, protracted 
summers of the more Southern States and the severe winters and 
devastating storms and cyclones of the North and West. The 
average annual temperature of the State is 56 degrees. The num- 
ber of murky, foggy days is very small and conversely the number 
of sunny days is very large. The United States Weather Bureau 
gives as the number of fair and clear days for Hampton Roads 
258.8, while for Boston 237. Along the Blue Ridge Mountains 
there is a belt of country from 1,000 to 2,500 feet above the sea 
level in which the humidity is exceedingly small, less than in any 
section East of the Rocky Mountains in which the number of bright 
sunny days is very large. This region has but little dew at night 
owing to its low humidity and is very beneficial to the people of 
weak lungs. 

Virginia is today the richest State in the South except Texas, 
and is growing each year more rapidly in wealth and population. 
The skies of Virginia are illumined with hope, and her people, con- 
servatively and courageously, are each year building a broader, a 
richer and a greater Commonwealth. 




W C5 

s 9 



Progressive Virginia 



Virginia's progress between 1880 and 1910, spanning one gen- 
eration of human life, is epitomized in the following table: 

Virginia. 

Land Area, 40,262 Square Miles. 

1880 1900 1910 

Population 1,512,565 1,854,184 2,061,612 

Density 37.5 46 51.2 

Cotton Mills: 

Spindles 44,340 126,827 358,536 

Looms 1,322 4,608 10,770 

Cotton used, pounds 5,087,519 17,832,465 34,698,567 

Pig-iron made, tons 29,934 490,617 444,976 

Coke made, tons 685,156 1,435,000 

Lumber cut, feet 315,939,000 956,169,000 *2, 102,000,000 

Grain Products, bushels: 

Corn 45,230,000 28,183,760 54,621,000 

Wheat 8,737,302 9,421,932 10,176,000 

Oats 5,774,780 5,167,568 4,268,000 

Live-Stock: 

Cattle 631,000 826,000 875,000 

Sheep 497,000 693,000 522,000 

Swine 956,000 946,000 774,000 

Mineral products, value $1,348,195 $5,658,801 $16,000,000 

Coal mined, tons 43,079 2,393,754 5^000,000 

Iron ore mined, tons f243,542 |921,821 800,000 

Railroad mileage 1,893 3,795 4,609 

National Banks: 

Resources - $14,348,362 $39,058,368 $132,766,631 

Capital $3,066,000 $5,171,000 $15,743,500 

Individual deposits $6,690,447 $20,473,458 $73,652,398 

Other banks, deposits $7,757,202 $22,75,7,202 *$47,805,255 

Common schools, expenditures.... $946,109 $1,989,238 t$3,634,658 

Property, true value $707,000,000 $1,102,309,696 $1,650,000,000 

* Figures of 1909. f Includes West Virginia in 1880 and 1900. 

I Figures of 1907-8. 

These figures, which include a few conservative estimates for 
1910, suggest what A T irginia will be when it has a population jus- 
tified by the advantages which the Old Dominion offers. 

With an increase of population between 1880 and 1910 from 
1,512,565 to 2,061,612, or by 549,047, equal to 36.3 per cent., its 
wealth has increased from $707,000,000 to $1,650,000,000, or by 



14 

$943,000,000, equal to 133.3 per cent. Evidence of this increase in 
wealth is had in the increase in the capital of National banks in the 
Commonwealth from $3,066,000 to $15,743,000, or more than 
five times, and in individual deposits in such banks from $6,690,- 
447 to $73,652,398, or more than eleven times. 

Contributing to this growth have been increases in the length 
of railroads from 1,893 miles to 4,609 miles, or 143.4 per cent., in 
the value of mineral production from $1,348,000 to $16,000,000, 
or 1,086.9 per cent., and in the cut of lumber from 315,939,000 feet 
to 2,102,000,000 feet, or 565.3 per cent, with the gradual improve- 
ment in agriculture indicated by the addition of about 10,000,000 
bushels to the annual grain production, bringing the total in 1910 
to 54,621,000 bushels of corn, 10,175,000 bushels of wheat, 4,268,- 
000 bushels of oats, 378,000 bushels of buckwheat, 270,000 
bushels of rye and 88,000 bushels of barley, together with 124,- 
800,000 pounds of tobacco, 6,566,000 bushels of Irish potatoes and 
565,000 tons of hay. 

This variety of agricultural products, emphasized by an in- 
crease since the turn of the century of 500 per cent, in trucking, 200 
per cent, in fruit growing, and 150 per cent, in sheep raising, 
reflect the wide range of the elevations of Virginia. Within an ex- 
treme length of 440 miles the land rises from sea-level to a height 
of more than 5,700 feet and within its Tidewater, Piedmont, Valley 
and highland areas are between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 acres of 
land not yet occupied by farms, while of the 20,000,000 acres of 
farm lands hardly fifty per cent, are improved. In this unimproved 
land and non-agricultural land are included about 14,000,000 
acres of wood land and forest. 

Beneath the surface are 1,900 square miles of coal fields repre- 
senting an original supply of 22,500,000,000 tons of coal, of which 
less than 100,000,000 tons have been mined in the past 130 years; 
asbestos, barytes, building stone, cement, clays, copper, feldspar, 
glass-sand, gold, gypsum, iron-ore, lead, lime, manganese ores, 
marls, mica, millstone, mineral waters, ochre, precious stones, 
pyrite, rutile, sand and gravel, silver, slate, talc, soapstone, 
and zinc. 

Virginia has nearly 500 miles of navigable waterways not in- 
cluding the connections between the Norfolk basin and the Caro- 
lina sounds, the 116 miles of the Potomac between Washington 
and the Chesapeake Bay and the Bay, itself. The total amount of 



15 

commerce, internal, domestic and foreign, may hardly be esti- 
mated accurately, but the Chesapeake Bay, alone, carried in the 
calendar year, 1910, exports and imports in foreign trade to the 
value of $124, 802,950, and of that total, merchandise to the value 
of $18,659,731 passed through Alrginia ports. 

But these waters are directly productive through their fisheries, 
in which about $3,000,000 was invested in 1908 and which yielded 
in that year $4,716,000. Of the total, oysters represented $2,348,- 
000, and the catch of the year included 190,089,000 pounds of 
menhaden, 37,885,000 pounds of alewives, 7,314,000 pounds of 
shad, 1,969,000 pounds of clams and 25,083,000 pounds of crabs. 

Waters, mines, forests, and fields contribute to the manufac- 
turing progress of the State. In 1900 the investment in factories 
was $92,299,589 and the value of factory products was $108,644,- 
150. By 1904 the factory capital increased to $147,989,182 and 
the value of factory products to $148,856,525. By 1909 the 
factory capital increased to $216,392,000, and the value of 
factory products to $219,794,000, so that the capital in all 
manufacturing should now be in the neighborhood of $240,- 
000,000 and the value of products $250,000,000. That sum, added 
to the value of the products of the farms, the fisheries and the mines 
means an annual production in Virginia between $360,000,000 and 
$375,000,000. 

The manufacturing production of Massachusetts is about $1,- 
500,000,000. Massachusetts has an area about one-fifth that of 
Virginia and its population is only 300,000 greater than that of 
Virginia. Its agricultural production is hardly equal to one-third 
of Virginia's and its forest and mineral resources for industry may 
hardly be compared to Virginia's. What Massachusetts is doing in 
manufacturing, Virginia can do. 

Richard H. Edmonds, 
Editor Manufacturers' Record. 



Virginia to the Front 



Remarkable Agricultural and Industrial Development 
in the Old Dominion State During the Past Decade 



By Mr.L. E. Johnson, 
President Norfolk & Western Railway 

During the past ten years Virginia has witnessed a degree of 
development of both its agricultural and industrial resources 
that will surpass any other like period in her history. The pro- 
ducts of our Virginia farms and factories have more than doubled 
within this period and notwithstanding this, we believe that we 
are on the eve of a still greater development which bids fair to 
continue for years to come. 

It is the same broad-gauged expansion that is characteristic 
of the West, and it is going to continue until our millions of acres 
of idle farm lands are again brought under cultivation, and the 
large resources of our forests, our mines and our water powers 
are developed systematically, economically and efficiently. 

It is only within a comparatively recent period that the farmer 
and the business man of the North and West have become thor- 
oughly acquainted with Virginia's abundant resources and 
attractive industrial opportunities, and I believe that one of the 
most important factors in the education of these people, relative 
to her possibilities, has been the awakening of our own people 
to their advantages and the effective advertising of them abroad. 
It is a fact that the homeseeker and prospective investor can come 
to this State and find a combination of more farming, grazing 
and fruit lands; more timber and coal; more iron and copper, 
zinc, clay, shale, limestone and other minerals; more water 
powers and other undeveloped resources awaiting development 
than can be found in almost any other section of the country. 



18 

Our Southern people are awake to their opportunities, and they 
are demanding the very best facilities that make for higher pro- 
gress and fuller development. They are spending millions of 
dollars annually for the highest type of modern school buildings 
and the most efficient instructors; for the effective improvement 
of their public roads and the general development that redounds 
to the benefit of all the people. These high class schools and 
improved country roads are doing more to arouse the residents 
of Virginia communities to the unusual opportunities that lie 
before them than almost any other fact, and as a direct result 
they are continuing to improve their roads and their streets, 
their towns and cities, their homes and their farms, their factories 
and industrial plants until the Old Dominion is fast becoming 
one of the most attractive and prosperous of all the States. 

What Virginia now needs most of all, perhaps, is plenty of good 
honest, industrious settlers to continue the good work of putting 
more of her idle lands under cultivation, to promote the conser- 
vative development of her latent industrial, mineral and timber 
resources and to thus increase the general prosperity of all her 
people. 

The railroads of the South, with their improved facilities for 
rapid transportation of freight and passengers, have been a large 
factor in this general development, and many of them maintain 
special departments devoted entirely to the promotion of business 
enterprises and the development of the territory tributary to their 
lines of rail. They realize that it is necessary to advertise the 
advantages of their section in order to let the outsider know what 
good things they have in store, and to thus induce him to come 
here and investigate for himself. This is really the key-note to 
the whole situation — effective, persistent and systematic adver- 
tising of our resources. We know we have those good things and 
that nature has been very kind to us here in Virginia, but the object 
that we should ever have before us is to convince the other fellow 
of these same facts, and the only way to do this is to publish them 
abroad so that he who runs may read. 

With the influx of new capital and increased population Virginia 
cannot do otherwise than forge ahead more rapidly each succeed- 
ing year until she assumes the full importance to which her 
natural advantages entitle her. 



Virginia's Progress 



Agricultural and Industrial Development 



By Mr. W. W. Finley, 

President Southern Railway Company. 

Geographical location, climate, soil and natural resources all 
combine to favor the continued growth of Virginia in population 
and wealth. 

The most densely populated area in the United States is in the 
section along the Atlantic seaboard, including Washington, D. C, 
on the south and Boston on the north. The markets of the large 
cities and towns of this section require enormous supplies of all 
kinds of commodities. No State is more favorably located with 
reference to these markets than is Virginia. With her land 
highways through the Potomac gateway at Alexandria, and up 
the center of the peninsula from Cape Charles and waterways 
by the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, the proximity and 
accessibility of the great consuming region just north of the 
Potomac River is of enormous advantage to the State and especially 
to producers of perishable commodities such as fruits, vegetables 
and dairy products. 

Another important asset of Virginia is her climate. The people 
of this favored State escape the rigors of the northern winter. 
The summer heat in no part of the State is more oppressive than 
in many localities further North, while seashore and mountain 
resorts each year attract thousands from the heated cities. Other 
climatic advantages over more northern States which Virginia 
enjoys are a longer growing season for vegetation and a larger 
number of days in each year in which outdoor work of all kinds 
can be carried on. 

Favorable climatic conditions, great varieties in topographical 
formation, and in the chemical constituents of the soil give to 




*J5? K 



21 

Virginia a range of agricultural products unexcelled by any other 
State. All of the stable crops of the North and those of the South 
which do not require tropical conditions can be produced success- 
fully and profitably within the State. 

Abundant supplies of coal, iron ore, building stones, timber, 
cotton and other raw materials make the opportunities for indus- 
trial development in Virginia equal to those for agricultural 
development. 

It is natural that with these favorable conditions the record 
of Virginia should be one of progress and of the more efficient 
utilization of natural advantages. How favorable the records is 
can be best illustrated by comparative statistics. The United 
States Agricultural Department has published statistics of the 
average yield per acre for each of the more important farm crops 
for a long series of years. I have compiled a table giving the aver- 
age production per acre in Virginia for each crop reported on 
for the ten years 1876 to 1885, inclusive, as compared with the 
last five years. The figures are as follows: 

1876- Five- 

CROP 1885 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 Year 

Average 



17.9 


24.3 


25. 


26. 


23.2 


25.5 


24.8 


8.3 


12.5 


12.5 


11.4 


11.2 


12.8 


12.1 


12.1 


18. 


19.6 


19.1 


19. 


22. 


19.5 


15.7 


28.6 


29. 


28. 


28.5 


29^3 


28.7 


7.9 


13.4 


14. 


12.5 


12.3 


13.5 


13.1 


13.2 


19. 


19. 


18. 


18. 


18. 


18.4 


32.19 


50.25 


54.39 


63.37 


64.4 


56.74 


57.85 


1.19 


1.25 


1.4 


1.3 


1.3 


1.19 


1.29 


169. 


185. 


190. 


210. 


190. 


212. 


197.4 


637. 


675. 


760. 


815. 


.75. 


780. 


761. 



Corn, bushel per acre . . 
Wheat, bushel per acre 
Oats, bushel per acre. . 
Barley, bushel per acre 
Rye, bushel per acre . 
Buckwheat, bushel per acre 
Potatoes, bushel per acre 

Hay, ton per acre 

Cotton, pound per acre. . 
Tobacco, pound per acre 

The above figures show that for each crop reported on the 
average production per acre in Virginia during the past five years 
has been materially greater than the average for the ten-year 
period from 1876 to 1885, inclusive. They also show that the pro- 
duction of each crop in each one of the last five years has been 
in excess of the average for that crop from 1876 to 1885, with the 
single exception of the production of hay in 1910, which was the 
same as the average for the ten-year period. This is a record of 
which the intelligent and progressive farmers of Virginia may 
well be proud. It shows that the soils of the State have not been 
exhausted, but that, with intelligent use, they are increasing in 
productiveness. 



22 

Although agriculture dates back to the garden of Eden, it has 
only been within comparatively recent years that the problem 
of maintaining an increasing soil productivity has been syste- 
matically and scientifically studied, and that it has been demon- 
strated that, with scientific crop rotation, the raising of live stock 
and the proper use of fertilizers, soil productivity can be largely 
increased. The figures that I have given above show that the 
farmers of Virginia have learned this lesson and are applying 
it in actual practice. It is but natural to expect that, owing 
to unfavorable weather conditions, there may be an occasional 
year in which the average yield per acre of some of the crops 
growing in Virginia will fall below the average for the past five 
years, but I believe we may look forward confidently to each suc- 
cessive five-year period showing increases for a long time to come. 

I believe that one of the most important factors in bringing 
this about will be the live stock industry of the State. Natural 
conditions in Virginia, including an abundance of forage crops, 
mild winters, and a long grazing season, are peculiarly favorable 
to raising live stock of all kinds, and there are easily accessible 
markets for all that can be produced. For no branch of the live 
stock industry are conditions in Virginia more favorable than 
for dairying, and the markets north of the Potomac River will 
absorb all of the dairy products that the State can produce. 
In connection with dairying, poultry and hog raising will generally 
be found to be profitable. Aside from the direct profits derived 
from the various branches of the live stock industry, there is the 
secondary profit resulting from the use of manure on the farms, 
either alone or in combination with commercial fertilizers. 

If we turn from the consideration of the staple field crops and 
live stock raising to fruit growing and truck farming, we find 
conditions in Virginia equally favorable to these industries. There 
is no part of the State, from the orchard-covered slopes of the 
west to the truck gardens about Norfolk, where many varieties of 
fruits and vegetables can not be grown successfully and with 
profit. 

The United States Census Bureau has not yet compiled detailed 
figures for the census of manufactures in Virginia in 1909, but 
the preliminary bulletin just issued shows a most gratifying rate 
of progress in industrial development. 

The capital invested in industries in 1909 amounted to $216,- 



23 

392,000.00, an increase of $124,092,411.00 or 134.4 per cent, over 
1899; the number of employees in 1909 was 114,227, an increase 
of 44,176 or 63.1 per cent, over 1899; salaries and wages paid 
to employees in 1909 amounted to $47,255,000.00, an increase of 
$23,351,502.00 or 97.7 per cent, over 1899. The total value of 
manufactured products in 1909 amounted to $219,794,000.00, 
an increase over 1899 of $111,149,850.00 or 102.3 per cent. 

One of the primary requisites for industrial development is an 
adequate supply of fuel for power production, Virginia has this 
at hand in her coal fields, and the mining of coal, both for use 
within the State and for shipment beyond its borders, has become 
an important Virginia industry. In 1909 the mines of Virginia 
produced 4,752,217 tons of coal, an increase of 2,872,047 tons, 
or 152.8 per cent, over 1899. 

As in agriculture, so in industries I believe that we may look 
forward to continued progress in Virginia and to greater diversi- 
fication in manufactures, chiefly in the direction of the building 
up of industries which wall use as their raw materials the finished 
products of the primary manufacturers of the State and prepare 
them for the final consumer. The Virginia manufacturer, as well 
at the Virginia farmer, has the advantage of proximity to the 
densely populated region along the North Atlantic coast. The 
continued development of the State will provide enlarged home 
markets both for the farmer and the manufacturer. One of the 
best markets that the farmer can have is a thriving city or manu- 
facturing town with easy wagon haul of his farm, and the best 
markets that manufacturers in many lines can have are thriving 
agricultural communities within easy reach of their factories. 



General Description of Virginia 



Virginia is one of the middle Atlantic States of the United 
States of America, lying midway between Maine on the north and 
Florida on the south. It is also in the belt of central States across 
the continent from east to west. Its latitude is from 36° 31' to 
39° 27' N., corresponding to Southern Europe, Central Asia, 
Southern Japan and California. Its longitude is from 77° 13' 
to 83° 37' west from Greenwich. It extends 2° 57' north and 
south and 9° 24' east and west. 

On the south it adjoins North Carolina for 326 miles and Ten- 
nessee for 114 miles, making the line of the State from the Atlantic 
west 440 miles; on the west and northwest, Kentucky for 115 
miles and West Virginia (by a very irregular line) for 450 miles, 
form the boundary. Maryland is northeast and north, separated 
by the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay for 205 miles from Virginia 
(to which these waters belong) and by a line of 25 miles across 
the Eastern Shore. East and southeast is bordered by the Atlantic 
for 125 miles. The boundary lines of the State measure about 
1,400 miles. On the northwest they are mostly mountain ranges; 
on the northeast and east, water. 

The longest line in the State, from the Atlantic southwest to 
Kentucky, is 476 miles; the longest from north to south is 192 
miles. The longest line in England (northeast to southwest) is 
372 miles, and the longest line from north to south is 360 miles. 

No State in the Union offers a more attractive inducement 
and extends a more inviting hand than Virginia. In climate, 
diversity of soils, fruits, forests, water supply and mineral deposits, 
and variety of landscapes, included in mountain and valley, she 
offers advantages that are unsurpassed. She lies between the 
extreme heat and cold, and removed alike from the sultry, pro- 
tracted summers of the more southern States and the severe 
winters and devastating cyclones and storms of the Northwest. 



27 

Natural Divisions 

There are five great natural divisions of the territory of Virginia. 
Belts of country extending across the State from northeast to 
southwest, as a general direction, nearly parallel to each other, and 
corresponding to the trend of the Atlantic coast on the east and 
of the ranges of the Appalachian system of mountains on the 
northwest. 

These grand divisions are, taken in the order of succession from 
the ocean northwest across the State, 1st, the Tidewater Country, 
or Tidewater; 2nd, the Middle Country, or Middle Virginia; 3rd, 
the Piedmont Country, or Piedmont; 4th, the Great Valley of 
Virginia, or the Valley; 5th, the Appalachian Country, or South- 
west Virginia. 

Tidewater Virginia 

Tidewater Virginia, comprising that section of the State lying 
mainly east of a line drawn north and south through her capital 
city, Richmond, is esteemed by its residents — and by many of 
its non-residents also — both figuratively and in fact, as the garden- 
spot, not only of Virginia, but of the entire country as well. In 
justification of this claim, they point with pride to its history, 
its people, its splendid location, superb climate, and to its mag- 
nificent resources of field, forest and of water. 

Historically, they go back to the days of John Smith, of Poca- 
hontas, and of the cavaliers; to Jamestown, where English 
civilization was first permanently planted in America, and to 
Williamsburg; to her House of Burgesses, where the first faint cry 
of liberty and equality was heard within her borders; to those 
immortals, Washington, Jefferson, and Henry, and to their illus- 
trious compeers who by their words, their acts, their devotion 
and their blood, gave both force and effect to that cry, electrifying 
a subservient world by the boldness of their challenge to the 
haughty English king, whose proud minions meeting their 
Waterloo at Yorktown, there surrendered both their liberty and 
an empire to the victorious American army. 

This section is divided by the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, 
and the large tidal rivers that flow into that great estuary, into 
nine principal and a large number of secondary peninsulas. This 
is mainly an alluvial country, a portion of the tertiary Atlantic 



29 

tidewater plain, and its surface, composed of sands and clays, is 
thrown into low, flat ridges, forming the watershed of the penin- 
sulas, succeeded by terraces and plains down to the water's edge, 
where they meet the swamps and salt marshes that always accom- 
pany well-developed, land-locked, tidal waters. This is the clay, 
marl, and sand region. 

The natural resources of this section are unsurpassed. Her 
waters, upon which float the mighty ships of both war and trade, 
abound with fish, oysters, clams and crabs, ready to be converted 
into food for her people and into gold for their purses. Upon 
these waters and in her marshes, millions of water-fowl and wild 
birds feed and have their resting places. The curlew, willet, gray- 
back, sea robin, mudhen and sora are her marsh birds. Of her 
waterfowl, the teal, water goose, brant, canvas back and black 
mallard; of her land game, wild deer, squirrels, rabbit, woodcock 
and quail. 

Winter and summer resorts of both health and pleasure are 
scattered along her surf-bound shores, where thousands of pros- 
perous people throng every season for health and pleasure or 
profit. 

From her forests millions of feet of lumber are cut and marketed 
annually. Millions are still standing, awaiting the stroke of the 
woodman's axe. 

This is the greatest trucking section in the world. Upon her 
fields may be seen corn, wheat, alfalfa, clover, grass of splendid 
quality. 

With more than three thousand square miles of salt-water 
bottom, of which four thousand acres are set aside for oyster 
planting purposes and some 200,000 as a natural reserve, we can 
fairly claim this to be the greatest oyster section in the world. 

The Chesapeake Bay and her many estuaries, which bear 
annually upon her beautiful waters $125,000,000.00 of foreign 
commerce, produces annually about $12,000,000.00 of oysters, 
crabs and fish, in the gathering of which about $4,000,000.00 are 
invested. The county of Accomac alone produces 75 per cent, 
of the soft shell crabs consumed in the United States. 

Middle Virginia 

This section is a great, moderately undulated plain, from 25 to 
100 mles wide, rising to the northwest from an elevation of 150 



31 

feet above tide at the rocky rim of its eastern margin, to from 
300 to 500 along its northwestern. The principal streams, as a 
rule, cross it at right angles; so it is a succession of ridges and 
valleys running southeast and northwest, the valleys often narrow 
and deep,. but the ridges generally not very prominent. To many 
portions of the middle country the mountain ranges to the west 
of the deepest blue, form an agreeable and distant boundarj^ to 
the otherwise sober landscape. There are a few prominences 
like Willis, Slate River and White Oak mountains farther east, 
only prominent because in a champaign country. 

The middle country extends westward from the "head of the 
tide" to the foot of the low, broken ranges that, under the names 
of Kittoctin, Bull Run, Yew, Clark's, Southwest, Carters', Green, 
Findlay's, Buffalo, Chandler's, Smith's, etc., mountains and hills, 
extend across the State southwest from the Potomac, near the 
northern corner of Fairfax, to the North Carolina line, near the 
southwest corner of Pittsylvania, coming to the eastern line of 
the Appalachian system, and that may with propriety be called 
the Atlantic Coast Range. 

It is considered one of the finest general farming sections in the 
State. Tobacco, wheat, corn, oats, grass and peanuts are its 
chief products. It is also considered by experts to be especially 
adapted to dairy farming. Its railroad facilities, nearness to the 
markets and the responsiveness of its soil make it an ideal home 
for the farmer. Its natural water power and factory sites are 
unsurpassed; splendid schools and churches, road-building and 
improved methods of farming are making this one of the greatest 
sections of the State. No other portion of the State has shown 
more rapid progress than Middle Virginia in the last few years. 

Piedmont Virginia 

This section is the long belt of country stretching for 244 
miles from the banks of the Potomac and the Maryland line 
southwest, along the eastern base of the Blue Ridge mountains, 
and bteween them and the coast range to the banks of the Dan 
at the North Carolina line; it varies in width from 20 to 30 miles, 
averaging about 25; its approximate area is 6,680 square miles. 

This Piedmont country is the fifth step of the great stairway 
ascending to the west. Its eastern edge along Middle Virginia 
is from 300 to 500 feet anove the sea; then come the broken 



33 

ranges of the Coast mountains, rising as detached or connected 
knobs in lines or groups from 100 to 600 feet higher. These are 
succeeded by the numberless valleys of all imaginable forms — 
some long, straight and wide, others narrow and widening, others 
again oval and almost enclosed, locally known as " coves," that 
extend across to, and far into, the Blue Ridge, the spurs of which 
often reach out southwardly for miles, ramifying in all directions. 
Portions of the Piedmont form widely-extended plains. The land 
west of the coast ranges is generally from 300 to 500 feet above 
the sea, and rises to the west until, at the foot of the Blue Ridge, 
it attains an elevation of from 600 to 1,200 feet. 

Numerous streams have their origin in the heads of the gorges 
on the Blue Ridge, and most of them flow across the Piedmont 
to the southwest until near its eastern border where they unite 
and form one that runs for a considerable distance along, and 
parallel to, the coast mountains, and takes the name of some of the 
well-known rivers that cross Middle, and even Tidewater, Virginia, 
like the Roanoke or Staunton and the James. Some of these 
rivers break through the Blue Ridge from the Valley, making 
water-gaps in that formidable mountain barrier, as the Potomac, 
the James and the Roanoke; but they all follow the rule above 
given in their way across this section. 

This is a genuine "Piedmont" country — one in which the moun- 
tains present themselves in their grand as well as in their dimin- 
utive forms, gradually sinking down into the plains, giving great 
diversity and picturesqueness to the landscape with its wealth 
of forms of relief as varied as those of outline in Tidewater. Few 
countries surpass this in beauty of scenery and choice of prospect, 
so that it has always been a favorite section with men of refine- 
ment in which to fix their homes. 

It has an average rainfall of 45 inches, and never suffers from 
a consuming drought such as they have in some parts of the West. 
The climate in summer is tempered by mountain breezes and 
in winter it enjoys the protection of the Blue Ridge from the 
blizzards of the North and West. It is considered the most 
healthful belt of the United States by Government statistics. 
One of the arguments Thomas Jefferson used for locating 
the University of Virginia in this section was the pre- 
eminent healthful ness of the climate, and in support of his 
view read to the committee appointed by the legislature 











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35 

a list of residents over ninety years of age, and another 
list of those over eighty. The soil is of great natural fertility 
and is generally underlaid with red clay which carries enough free 
lime and potash for ordinary agricultural use. The mineral 
wealth of this section has only been partly developed. There 
are deposits of iron, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphate, potter's 
clay, marble and soapstone. The most flourishing quarries and 
factories of soapstone are found in Albemarle and Nelson counties 
where millions of dollars are invested in the business, paying 
handsome dividends. The water powers of this section are of 
great value, but are still undeveloped. All of the rivers that flow 
from the Blue Ridge are fed by never-failing streams, and their 
fall is rapid. Some day the cities, villages and farm houses of 
this section will be lighted and heated from these rivers whose 
power is now going to waste. There are some flourishing manu- 
factories. The largest and most successful boot and shoe factories 
in the United States, with one exception, are located in Lynchburg, 
and the best woolen mills — "all wool, and a yard wide : ' — are 
situated at Charlottesville. The finest-flavored apples in the 
world are grown in this section. Experts the world over recog- 
nize this fact. It is not simply that the Albemarle Pippin was 
Queen Victoria's favorite of all apples that has made it the most 
famous apple in the world. The high quality which gained the 
favor of the good queen has kept it in the front ranks beyond 
all competitors. 

The Valley of Virginia 

Washington, in his letter to Sir John Sinclair, written 1796, 
said of this beautiful country: "In soil, climate and productions 
will be considered, if not so already, the garden-spot of America." 
Its natural Blue Grass land, the home of the stock raiser and 
dairyman; its heavy clay land, fat in fertilizing ingredients, 
always repaying the labor spent on them in crops of corn and 
wheat; its splendid soil for fruit growing; its nearness to the big 
markets, have made this section famous. The Valley is said by 
experts from the Agricultural Department in Washington to con- 
tain a large area of apple land, the equal of any in the world. Many 
parts of this Valley, especially Augusta and Frederick counties, 
are becmoing a vast orchard. Frederick and Augusta Counties 
each produced last fall about 250,000 barrels. The real estate 



37 

in the Valley counties is assessed $34,938,607.00, and the personal 
property at $14,325,910.00. Staunton and the city of Winchester 
personal property, $3,382,560.00, and real estate, $5,435,496.00, 
making a grand total of $58,082,573.00. Harrisonburg is perhaps 
the greatest horse market in the State, and is making wonderful 
progress and growth. The Valley has a homogenous white popu- 
laton, industrious, honest and intelligent, and is entering upon a 
career of prosperity the equal of any section in the State. 

Lexington is the educational center of the Valley. The Virginia 
Military Institute and the Washington and Lee University are 
within her borders. Ne section has superior social and educa- 
tional advantages. 

Apfalachia or Southwest Virginia 

Just west of -the great valley of Virginia lies a mountainous 
section of country, traversed its whole length by the Appalachian 
system of mountains, known as Appalachia or Southwest Virginia. 
In altitude it varies from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above the sea-level and 
presents a great variety of soils. For years it has been noted as a 
grazing section, and of late years mining, timber and fruit have be- 
come very important industries. Appalachia is an abundantly 
watered region and few stockmen or farmers ever think of fencing 
in a field that has not one or more springs or branches. 900 square 
miles of Appalachia are politically classed with the Valley, as they 
include several front ranges that have drainage in the Valley, thus 
leaving 5,720 square miles in Appalachia proper. This irregular 
belt of country is 260 miles long and varies in width from ten to 
fifty miles. 

This section has the unique distinction of being the only section 
in the United States which ships export cattle direct from the 
pasture fields to foreign ports. The Norfolk and Western Railway, 
which traverses this section, reports 2,500 carloads of export cat- 
tle and steers shipped from March 1, 1910, to February 28, 1911; 
spring lambs and sheep, 935 carloads; horses and mules, 333 car- 
loads and hogs, 4,652,702 pounds. 

The mountains of this section cover untold wealth of minerals 
and coal and the best soft steam coal that reaches the markets of 
the world comes from Appalachia Virginia. 

The growing of cabbage has lately become a large and growing 
industry in this section of Virginia. One station in 1909 shipped 



39 

1,250 carloads, and the Norfolk and Western report, above re- 
ferred to, gives the shipment of cabbage for the year ending Feb- 
ruary' 28, 1911, as 54,611,122 pounds. 

Seldom is found such pleasant blending of agricultural wealth 
and untold mineral deposits with unlimited water power awaiting 
the command of genius and capital to utilize it to commercial 
advantage. 

Dairy and Pure Food Division of the Department of 
Agriculture and Immigration. 

The Pure Food Laws of this State, enacted at recent sessions 
of our legislature, primarily for the benefit of the consumer, and 
affording at the same time practical protection to the honest man- 
ufacturers and dealers against adulteration and mis-branded food 
products put out by their unscrupulous competitors, have wrought 
a material change for the better in the character of the foods found 
on sale in the markets of the State today as compared with what 
they were before the enforcement of the present efficient law. 

The Dairy and Food Division of this Department is charged 
with the enforcement of this law, and in addition to taking samples 
of foods and feeds, is also required to take supervision over the 
sanitary conditions surrounding the food producing and dispensing 
establishments, manufactories, bakeries, dairies, bottling estab- 
lishments, hotel kitchens and dining rooms, restaurants, con- 
fectioneries, slaughter houses, meat, oyster and fish shops, oyster 
and crab packing establishments, and at all plants where foods are 
manufactured, stored, or offered for sale. These establishments 
are kept under the constant supervision of the five food inspectors. 

The Dairy and Food Division has been instrumental in assisting 
in establishing in several of the cities of the State, effective milk 
and food ordinances, and in co-operation with the various munici- 
palities, has materially assisted in the betterment of the local 
milk supply and the methods of distribution of foods in these 
various localities. 

The work of this Division has also been beneficially extended to 
the supervision of stock feeds in which the farmers and feeders of 
the State are so intimately interested. Our Stock and Poultry 
food law contains wholesome and practical provisions which 
preclude the use in stock feeds of low grade fillers of little or no 
feeding value, as well as ingredients which may be deleterious or 



40 

harmful, and with the information which is required now to be 
shown on packages of stock feed, the buyers of this product can 
readily inform themselves of the true nature of their purchases. 
The results of the analyses show a vast improvement in the quali- 
ties of the feeds which are now offered for sale to the feeders of 
this State. 

Agricultural Resources 

Although Virginia has very large, varied and important inter- 
ests outside of agriculture, still agriculture has been, and is, her 
greatest and most important interest, and is the occupation of the 
great majority of her people. She is essentially an agricultural 
State. The principal agricultural products are tobacco, corn, 
wheat, oats, buckwheat, barley and the native and cultivated 
grasses, which, together with the clovers, yield an abundance of 
hay. 

In the seaboard section, particularly in the vicinity of Norfolk 
and on the Eastern Shore, there are extensive areas devoted to 
truck farming, an industry which annually sends millions of 
dollars worth of garden and farm vegetables and products to the 
markets of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. 
In this same section, especially in the counties that form the south- 
eastern portion of the State, between the James River and the 
North Carolina line, the cultivation of the peanut is an extensive 
and profitable industry, the annual value of the crop being about 
two and a half million dollars. Virginia raises more and better 
peanuts than any State in the Union. The cereals are wide- 
spread over the State, but the Valley is pre-eminently the 
grain-producing region. Tobacco is, in a part of the State, the 
staple principally relied on as a money-making crop. Only one 
State in the Union, Kentucky, produces more tobacco than Vir- 
ginia. The "Virginia Leaf," the finest tobacco raised in the 
United States, has a world-wide reputation for excellence. It 
thrives best in the uplands of Middle Virginia and in the Piedmont. 
In Halifax, Pittsylvania and Henry counties, bordering on the 
North Carolina line, midway of the State and in smaller areas of 
contiguous counties, the famous "bright tobacco" is raised. This 
always commands a high price. 

There is every conceivable variety of soil in Virginia, from the 
almost pure sand of the sea coast to the stiff clay of the western 



41 

portions. Although of such variety, there is one noteworthy fact, 
and that is the ease with which nearly all of the soil can be culti- 
vated, and its ready response to judicious treatment. 

Owing to the great difference of altitude of the various parts of 
the State, giving rise to a great diversity of climate conditions, and 
to the almost endless variety of soils within her borders, Virginia 
can, and does, grow practically everything raised in the United 
States except the tropical and sub-tropical fruits. If there is 
anyone, anywhere, who desires to take up any special branch of 
agriculture or desires to devote his time to the raising of any 
variety of cereal, grass, legume, fruit or animal, he can find in 
Virginia land and conditions ideally suitable to that identical thing. 

Fruits 

Virginia is one of the most highly-favored fruit-growing States 
in the Union. Indeed, when the variety, abundance, and excel- 
lence of its fruits are considered, it is doubtful if any other State 
can compare with it in this respect. Apples, peaches, pears, cher- 
ries, quinces, plums, damsons, and grapes are in great abundance, 
while the smaller fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, black- 
berries, gooseberries and currants are plentiful. The foothills of 
the Piedmont and Blue Ridge are specially adapted to the apple, 
some orchards producing as much as from $450 to $500 per acre. 
The peach, requiring a somewhat warmer climate, abounds more 
plentifully in Middle Virginia and Tidewater. The eastern slopes 
of the Blue Ridge are especially prolific in grapes, Albemarle 
county taking the lead in their cultivation. They are of excellent 
quality and flavor, both for table use and wine making. The 
Monticello Wine Company of Charlottesville, Albemarle county, 
enjoys a world-wide reputation for its wine, particularly its clarets. 

At the Paris World's Exhibition in 1878, this was the only Ameri- 
can wine that received a medal and diploma; and such was also 
the case at the Paris Exposition of 1889. Also, 101 medals were 
awarded at the World's Fair St. Louis, 1904. 

Apples may be said to be the principal fruit crop of the State. 
They are extensively grown, and there is a yearly increasing num- 
ber of trees planted. In one of the Vallej^ counties a 17-year-old 
orchard of 1,150 trees produced an apple crop in 1905 which 
brought the owner $10,000, another of fifty 20-year trees brought 
Mr. H. E. Vandeman, one of the best-known horticulturists 



43 

in the country, says that there is not in all North America a better 
place to plant orchards than in Virginia. He says: "For rich 
apple soil, good flavor, and keeping qualities of the fruit, and 
nearness to the great markets of the East and Europe, your 
country is wonderfully favored." 

The trees attain a fine size and live to a good old age, and pro- 
duce most abundantly. In Patrick county there is a tree 9 feet 5 
inches around which has borne 110 bushels of apples at a single 
crop. There are other trees which have borne even more. One 
farmer in Albemarle county has received more than $15,000 for 
a single crop of Albemarle Pippins grown on twenty acres of land. 
This Pippin is considered the most deliciously flavored apple in the 
world. Sixty years ago the Hon. Andrew Stevenson, of Albemarle, 
when minister from this country to England, presented a barrel 
of "Albemarle Pippins' ' to Queen Victoria, and from that day to 
this it has been the favorite apple in the royal household of Great 
Britain. Although the Blue Ridge, Piedmont, Valley and South- 
west sections are more particularly adapted to the apple, they 
are grown to some extent in every part of the State. 

The fig, pomegranate, and other delicate fruits flourish in the 
Tidewater region. 

We have mentioned the cultivated fruits; but in many sections 
there will be found growing wild, in great abundance, the straw- 
berry, the whortleberry, the haw, the persimmon, the plum, the 
blackberry, the dewberry, a fine variety of grapes for jellies and 
for wines, the cherry, the raspberry, and the mulberry, and also 
will be found the chestnut, hazelnut, the walnut, the hickorynut, 
the beechnut, and the chinquepin. 

Statistical Report From the National Government's 
Crop Reporter, 1910, Shows the Following : 

In corn, the average farm value per acre: 

Virginia $16.58 

Illinois 14.85 

Iowa 13.08 

Missouri 15 . 58 

Ohio 16.79 

In wheat, the average farm value per acre: 

Virginia $12 .42 

Kansas 1 1 . 83 

Missouri 12 . 01 

Illinois 13.40 



44 

In oats, the average farm value per acre: 

Virginia $10.78 

Nebraska 7.84 

Iowa 10.21 

Indiana -. ■ 10 . 85 

In potatoes, the average farm value per acre: 

Virginia $56.84 

New York 48.98 

Ohio 41 .82 

Michigan 32 .55 

In hay, the average price per ton. 

Virginia $14.50 

Illinois 12.00 

Ohio 12.50 

Michigan 13 . 60 



The Mineral Resources of Virginia 



By Thos. L. Watson, 
State Geologist, and Professor of Geology, University of Virginia 

Virginia is situated on the Atlantic slope of the Appalachian 
mountains, half way between Florida and Maine. The extreme 
length of the State from the Atlantic border to Kentucky is 476 
miles, and the greatest width from north to south is 192 miles; 
its area is 42,450 square miles. Of this area, 2,325 square miles are 
covered with water, giving 40,125 square miles of land surface. 
Its principal inland waters are the Chesapeake and Mobjack bays, 
Hampton Roads, and Lake Drummond. Except in the eastern 
section, no navigable streams traverse the State, and trans- 
portation is necessarily limited to railways. 

Considered with reference to its surface features, Virginia is 
divided into three major provinces: (1) An eastern plain region, 
designated the Coastal Plain or Tidewater region; (2) a central or 
plateau region, designated the Piedmont Plateau; and (3) a west- 
ern or mountain region, designated the Appalachian Mountains 
province. These three provinces of the State differ markedly in the 
nature and origin of surface features, and in the age and kinds of 
rocks. They are intimately related to the geologic structure and 
hence have an important bearing upon the mineral resources of 
the State. 

As shown from an examination of a geologic map, the State 
stretches from the Atlantic coast westward nearly entirely across 
the Appalachian Mountain system. Within this area are found 
rocks that represent all the principal divisions of geologic time. 
Equally as great a variety of rock types, of structure which char- 
acterizes both profoundly disturbed and undisturbed rock masses, 
and of topography, is shown. Virginia therefore is possessed of 
an abundance and variety of mineral materials, many of which 
have been worked since early colonial days, especially the coal, 
iron ores, and brick clays. 



4? 

About forty mineral materials are now exploited, many of them 
on a large scale, which afford a basis of important commercial 
enterprises, and give to the State prominence in a varied and ex- 
tensive mining industry, which amounts annually to more than 
$20,000,000. The mineral products that have been mined and 
quarried in Virginia are: Iron ores, manganese ores, gold and sil- 
ver, copper, lead and zinc, tin, coal, clay, sand and gravel, stone 
(granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, and slate), abrasive mate- 
rials (millstones and emery), silica (quartz, chert, and diatoma- 
ceous earth), mica, feldspar, asbestos, talc and soapstone, barytes, 
gypsum, salt, mineral paint (ochre), marl (greensand and cal- 
careous), pyrite and pyrrhotite, arsenic, phosphate, graphite, 
rutile (titanium), monazite, mineral waters, and precious stones 
in considerable variety. 

Without exception the mineral products now produced in Vir- 
ginia can be developed still further with an increased production 
in future years. Some of these have been developed within recent 
years, and others still have not yet been exploited. The undevel- 
oped mineral resources of the State are vast and promise a greater 
increase in production in the future. Of the forty mineral materials 
now exploited in the State, mention can only be made at this time 
of the larger and more important ones. 

Mining of iron ore in Virginia in 1609 by the Jamestown colonists 
was the first iron ore mined in the United States. The building 
of the Germania (Rappahannock) furnace about 1714, by Gover- 
nor Spotswood, in Spotsylvania county, marked the first successful 
iron industry in the South. By 1781 a total of ten furnaces had 
been built, seven of which were located in Piedmont Aarginia, and 
three in the Appalachian region west of the Blue Ridge. At present 
the total number of blast furnaces in the State is twenty-six. The 
commercial deposits of iron ore in Virginia are confined to the Pied- 
mont and Appalachian region, and include three important types 
of ore, namely, limonite (brown hematite), red hematite, and 
magnetite. The sulphides (pyrite and pyrrhotite) occur in many 
places, but they do not form as yet an important source of the 
metal, but are extensively mined for use in the manufacture of 
sulphuric acid. The annual production of iron ores in Virginia 
amounts to about 725,000 long tons, valued at approximately 
$1,500,000. Of this production brown hematite constitutes 
about 90 per cent., red hematite about 9.5 per cent., and magnetite 



49 

less than one per cent. Deposits of magnetite are widely dis- 
tributed through the crystalline area which form important 
future reserves of iron ore. The production of pig iron in Vir- 
ginia in 1907 was valued at $8,963,000. 

Virginia has long held the position of first producer of pyrite 
(iron sulphide used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid) among 
pyrite-producing States in the United States. Commercial py- 
rite occurs in Louisa, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Prince William 
counties, and mines are opened in each county. The pyrite mines 
of Louisa and Prince William counties are the largest ones in the 
United States. Pyrrhotite, magnetic pyrite, used for the same 
purpose as pyrite, occurs in great abundance in Floyd, Carroll, 
and Grayson counties. This ore is mined near Monarat in Carroll 
county, and treated at Pulaski for sulphuric acid. The annual 
production of pyrite and pyrrhotite in Virginia exceeds $400,000 
in value. 

The principal gold belt in Virginia extends from Maryland across 
the State in a southwestward direction to the North Carolina line. 
The belt varies in width from fifteen to twenty- five miles, and is 
200 miles long, with its best developed portion in Fauquier, 
Stafford, Culpeper, Orange, Spotsylvania, Louisa, Fluvanna, 
Goochland, and Buckingham counties. Gold mining in the State 
dates from the year 1831, and from 1831 to 1850 the production 
was reasonably steady, the annual value being between $50,000 
and $100,000. At present the production is very small, but con- 
siderable activity is now being manifested in the mines of this 
belt, which should yield steady and profitable returns if properly 
managed. 

Copper ores are found in many counties of the State, but the 
principal areas are three in number: (1) The Virgilina district, 
including parts of Halifax, Charlotte, and Mecklenburg counties; 
(2) the northern Blue Ridge region including parts of Warren, 
Fauquier, Rappahannock, Madison, Page, and Greene counties; 
and (3) the Southwest Virginia region including Floyd, Carroll, 
and Grayson counties. The principal production has been from 
the first and third areas. The Virgilina area is commercially the 
most important copper district in Virginia, and the principal 
developments include a considerable number of mines. 

Lead mining in Virginia dates back more than 150 years, and 
the old lead mines of Austinville, Wythe county, were the first 



M 



.'■■ '■''<'$ 




Si 

to be worked. Mining of zinc ores in the State dates from the 
opening the mine at Bertha, Wythe county, in 1879. A smelting 
plant (the only one in the South) owned and operated at present 
by the Bertha Mineral Company, was promptly built at Pulaski 
for the making of spelter from the Virginia ores. The "Bertha" 
spelter is of exceptional purity, and has a world-wide reputation. 

The first coal mined in the United States was in the Richmond 
basin, where mines were opened and worked on the James river, 
near Richmond, as early as 1750. For the next 71 years, or from 
1750 to 1822, there are no available records of production from the 
mines near Richmond; the first year for which figures of pro- 
duction are given in 1822, when 54,000 short tons of coal were 
mined. The production from Richmond basin continued to in- 
crease until 1832 (the production in 1828 being 100,280 tons), 
when it began to decline. 

■The construction of the Norfolk and Western Railway through 
southwest Virginia in 1882, opened up the famous Pocahontas 
coal district, which lies partly in Virginia. Likewise, the build- 
ing of the Clinch Valley division of the Norfolk and Western 
Railway, nine years later, marked the beginning of the develop- 
ment of the Wise county coal district. The developments in these 
two fields in southwest Virginia, Tazewell county in 1883 and 
Wise county in 1891, again restored Virginia to importance as a 
coal producer. 

The Virginia areas which have produced or are producing 
coal are as follows: 

I. — The coal deposits of the Richmond Coal Basin, which covers 
parts of the following five -counties : Henrico, Chesterfield, Pow- 
hatan, Goochland, and Amelia. This is the only area of free- 
burning coal in the eastern portion of the United States that is 
located immediately adjacent to tidewater. It contains large re- 
serves of coal and has not received in recent years the attention 
which it merits. It will probably become an important producer 
in the near future, since development work is now well under 
way in portions of the area. 

II. — The coal deposits of the Mountain province, which in- 
clude a number of separate areas extending across the State in 
a southwesterly direction from Frederick county on the north to 
the Tennessee boundary on the south. These are: 

(1) The Frederick County Area. Including the Mountain 



53 

Falls district in the southwestern portion of the county and near 
the West Virginia line. 

(2) The Augusta County Area. Includes the North River 
district in the northwest corner of Augusta county and the con- 
tiguous part of Rockingham county. 

(3) The Botetourt County Area. Includes the southwest corner 
of Botetourt county. 

(4) The Montgomery-Pulaski Counties Area. Includes Price 
and Brush mountains in Montgomery county, and Cloyd and 
Little Walker mountains in Pulaski county. 

(5) The Bland- Wythe Counties Area. Includes a small area in 
the southern part of Bland county and in the northern part of 
Wythe county. 

(6) The Southwest Virginia Area. Forms the southeastern 
portion of the Kanawha basin, and comprises the Pocahontas 
or Flat-Top and the Big Stone Gap coal fields of the following 
counties: Tazewell, Russell, Scott, Dickenson, Buchanan, Wise, 
and Lee. Of these, Wise and Tazewell counties are the most im- 
portant producers at present. 

It is due to the southwest Virginia field that Virginia is en- 
titled to take rank among the principal coal producing States. 
Wise and Tazewell counties are the two most important producers. 
The other counties contain large reserves of coal, which in places 
are rapidly undergoing development. Many of these reserves 
have been made accessible recently through the construction of 
new lines of railroad, which means increased activity in coal 
mining in the State and a greater production in the immediate 
future. The area of the Southwest Virginia coal field is estimated 
to be 1,550 square miles, with the original supply of coal placed 
at 22,500,000,000 short tons. Of this supply it was estimated 
that at the close of 1907 a total of only 57,229,162 short tons had 
been mined. "The production in 1907 was 4,710,895 short tons, 
equivalent to an exhaustion of little over 7,000,000 tons, so that 
the coal left in the ground in Virginia at the close of 1907 was 
2,000 times the exhaustion represented by the production of that 
year." The annual production of coal in Virginia amounts to 
about 4,500,000 short tons, valued at about $4,500,000. 

The rapid development of the coking-coal fields in southwest 
Virginia during the last few years has given Virginia rank as one of 
the four principal coke-produc ing States. There are nineteen 



54 

coke-producing establishments in Virginia with a total number 
of ovens exceeding 5,000. The annual coke production in the 
State amounts to approximately 1,500,000 short tons, valued at 
about $3,700,000 at the coke ovens. 

The clays of Virginia show great variety, are widely distributed, 
and are suitable for many commercial purposes. Almost every 
county in Virginia contains clay suitable for the manufacture 
of common brick, and, in most cases, the deposits are of such 
character that common brick of the best quality can be made. 
The brick-yards can be located usually near railroad transportation 
and fuel for burning the brick can be obtained, as a rule, at a 
minimum price. Virginia clays used in the manufacture of 
common brick are of two types, residual and sedimentary. The 
total number of clay operating firms in Virginia exceeds eighty, 
producing annually clay products valued at more than $1,500,000. 

The production of stone has been an important industry in 
the State for many years, and the product of some varieties, es- 
pecially granite, has been used in many notable structures. The 
rocks of Virginia include a large variety anch abundance of ex- 
cellent stone suitable for building, decorative, and other purposes. 
These have wide distribution over the Crystalline and Mountain 
provinces, comprising in the former, granite, gneiss, and schist, 
trappean rocks in part known to the trade as black granite, 
slate, quartzite and sandstone, limestone and marble; and in the 
latter, sandstone, limestone, and marble. The stone industry 
is fourth in importance among those based upon the mineral 
wealth of the State, being surpassed only by the coal, clay products 
and iron ores. The annual production is valued at about $500,- 
000. 

The mineral waters of Virginia are an important source of 
revenue in the State. Virginia has a very large number of spring 
resorts, and a great variety and abundance of well-known com- 
mercial waters. Indeed, Virginia is par excellence a mineral -springs 
State, occupying among the South Atlantic States the same 
position that New York does in the North Atlantic section. 
Virginia is second only to New York in the number of springs 
that are utilized commercially, and exceeds New York in the 
number of resorts. 

Out of a total of sixty-eight mineral springs credited to Vir- 
ginia less than fifty report sales, with a total annual quantity of 



55 

water amounting to more than 2,000,000 gallons, valued at about 
$500,000. 

The abundant water powers, and the widespread occurrence 
of raw materials in the Tidewater region and west of the Blue 
Ridge, suitable for the manufacture of Portland cement make 
up a very valuable part of Virginia's mineral wealth. Of the three 
plants granted charters for the manufacture of Portland cement in 
Tidewater Virginia, the Norfolk Portland Cement Corporation's 
plant near Norfolk is now producing. The raw materials to be 
used by these plants for the manufacture of Portland cement are 
the extensive deposits of marls and clays of the immediate area. 

Rivers and Water Supply 

Five large and navigable rivers, with their affluents and tribu- 
taries, drain five-sixths of the State. These all empty into 
the Atlantic, four of them through the Chesapeake Bay, and 
one through Albemarle Sound. The four that empty into the 
Chesapeake are the Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James. 
The one that empties into Albemarle Sound is the Roanoke or 
Staunton. These are all navigable to the head of Tidewater by 
large steamboats and sailing vessels. Besides these there are 
other long and copious streams or rivers, the Shenandoah that 
flows through the valley, and New River and Clinch in southwest 
Virginia. These rivers are all supplied by multitudinous streams, 
rivulets and creeks; many of these long and of sufficient size 
to entitle them to the name of rivers. Some of these are the 
Potomac creek and Occoquan that flow into the Potomac; the 
Rapid Anne that is a bold affluent of the Rappahannock; the 
Mattapony and Pamunkey that at their confluence form the 
York; the Chickahominy, Appomattox, Rivanna, Willis, Slate, 
Rockfish, South, North, Cowpasture and Jackson, tributaries 
of the James; the Dan, Otter and Pig that flow into the Roanoke. 
These affluents are but a few of the hundreds of streams in every 
part of the State that fall below the dimensions of rivers but 
which, in conjunction with the bolder streams, irrigate the country, 
furnish inexhaustible water power, supply numerous varieties 
of fish, furnish channels for inland navigation, and by enlivening 
the landscapes, impart a picturesqueness to the scenery on all 
sides. Never-failing springs of pure, sparkling water abound in 
every section, many of them possessing medicinal properties of 



57 

a high order. The statement is made upon high authority, that 
no State possesses such an abundant supply of mineral waters. 
The rainfall is abundant and evenly distributed, there being 
two sources of rain supply, one from the Atlantic by the southeast 
winds and one from the gulf by the winds from the southwest. 
The annual rainfall is 35 inches in the southwest and 55 inches 
on the eastern coast, the average throughout the State being 
about 43 inches. 

From the above statements it can easily be believed that 
Virginia is one of the most abundantly watered countries upon 
the face of the earth. There can scarcely be found a square mile 
on which there is not either a running stream or a bold spring. 
There is probably no other area of the world's surface, of equal 
dimensions, that is so abundantly and uniformly watered. 

Water Power 

In this busy age, when every accessory of human industry is 
eagerly utilized, it may not be amiss to call more particular 
attention to the marvelous supply of water power which the rivers 
and streams of the State afford. In this connection we will 
quote the following passage from the pamphlet entitled "In- 
formation for the Homeseeker and Investor," published by 
this Department (the Virginia Department of Agriculture and 
Immigration), more particularly for the purpose of distribution 
at the recent St. Louis Exposition. 

Even in Tidewater, the flattest part of the State, the numerous 
smaller rivers and creeks have sufficient fall to furnish ample 
water power for grist mills and, of course, the same power could 
be used for other purposes. Where Tidewater joins Middle Vir- 
ginia, there is a rocky ledge which rises up quite abruptly, and 
over which all streams have to pour to reach the ocean. In 
pouring over that ledge rapids are formed which give magnificent 
water power. This water power is especially fine just above 
Alexandria, on the Potomac; at Fredericksburg, on the Rappa- 
hannock; at Richmond, on the James, and at Petersburg, on the 
Appomattox. To take only one locality as an illustration: 

At Richmond, in a distance of three and one-half miles, there 
is a fall of 84 feet, and in a distance of nine miles there is a fall of 
118 feet. The other streams mentioned have practically the 



58 

same fall. This enormous water power, occurring just at the 
head of Tidewater and deep water navigation, gives the man- 
ufacturer who uses this power the benefit of both railway and 
water transportation. As the mountainous region is approached 
every river, creek and branch is capable of furnishing fine water 
power. The effective fall of the James from Lynchburg to Rich- 
mond, a distance of 146.5 miles, is 429 feet; between Lynchburg 
and Buchanan, 50 miles, the effective fall is 299 feet; between 
Buchanan and Covington, a distance of 47 miles, the effective 
fall is 436 feet. "Indeed," as Commodore M. F. Maury says, 
"the James river and its tributaries alone afford water power 
enough to line their banks from Covington and Lexington, 
with a single row of factories, all the way to Richmond." New 
River also furnishes magnificent water power. In fact, all through 
the State an abundance of the finest water power is awaiting 
development. A very small proportion of this power is at present 
developed. 

Of the four navigable rivers of Virginia that are tidal to the 
ocean, three of them, the Potomac, Rappahannock, and James, 
take their rise in the mountain region and wind through land- 
scapes of surpassing loveliness to deliver their waters into that 
Bay which, like an inland sea, washes her eastern front. The 
York, a wide, straight stream, navigable for the largest vessels, 
is less than forty miles in length, and is rather an estuary, or arm 
of the Bay, than a river. The Mattapony and Pamunkey, that 
unite at West Point to form the York, drain a considerable 
portion of Tidewater and Middle Virginia. 

The Chesapeake Bay is not only the most picturesque and 
beautiful sheet of water upon the globe but it has no equal for 
the abundance and variety of the marine food which it supplies. 
It is 200 miles long, with an average width of 15 miles. It has the 
most abundant oyster beds in the world, and its Lynnhaven Bay 
oyster is confessedly the largest and most delicious specimen of 
this bivalve to be found in any water. It supplies, in inexhaustive 
quantities, every fish known to the southern waters, with the 
exception of the pompano, which is peculiar to the Gulf of Mexico. 
Turtles, crabs, terrapins, lobsters and clams abound, while 
birds by tens of thousands, crowd its waters, and the inlets and 
marshes that mark its borders — swans, geese, ducks, and sora. 



59 

The canvas back duck, that feeds on the wild celery and grasses 
that fringe its banks, possesses a game flavor that is coveted by 
the epicure. 

We have not overdrawn the picture of the attractive invitation 
which Virginia extends to the home-seeker, particularly the one 
who desires to reside in the country and follow the life of a farmer, 
With her diversified surface and varied elevation, her mild climate, 
fine rainfall, well distributed through the year, Virginia, with her 
numerous water courses and streams, and her fertile soil, presents 
an opportunity for all kinds of agricultural pursuits. The home- 
seeker can fined an attractive location for any line of cultivation 
he may wish to follow. From the fish and oysters of the bays 
and estuaries, the peanut growing and trucking of the Tidewater, 
the raising of corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, fruits, and stock of the 
Piedmont, to the blue grass grazing of the more mountainous, 
section, he has a varied field of selection. 

Forests 

The forests of Virginia abound in an unusual variety of woods, 
especially the valuable hardwoods, so important in modern con- 
struction. In these forests are found every wood known to south- 
ern soils except the noted red cedar of Alabama. Most of the 
uncultivated land consists of woodland tracts. Pine forests and 
cypress swamps cover vast areas of the Tidewater section. This 
soil favors also the growth of the cedar, willow, locust, juniper 
and gum, and to some extent the oak — woods that furnish the 
best material for staves, shingles, ship-timber, and sawed lumber. 
In the central and western sections are found the oak, hickory, 
walnut, chestnut, birch, beech, maple, poplar, cherry, ash, sycamore 
and elm. In the higher latitudes are found the hemlock, spruce, 
and white pine. Oak, pines and poplar are the chief woods for 
building. The durable hardwoods, oak, hickory, walnut and 
chestnut, are valuable in the manufacture of agricultural imple- 
ments, cars, and furniture. Paper is made from the pulp of the 
soft poplar. Oak bark and sumac leaves are extensively used in 
tanning and dyeing. 

Climate 

Man is so dependent in all the essentials of his existence 
upon the climatic conditions of the country he inhabits, a 
knowledge of the phenomena of climate is of the utmost im- 



61 

portance. The length and safety of a voyage to or from any 
country, the cultivation of crops, not only the question of seed 
time and harvest, but also the selection of kind, the returns that 
may be looked for in the agricultural operation of a series of 
years, the conditions of health, the precautious necessary to 
guard against sickness and the destruction of the fruits of industry, 
all these and many other things that affect human comfort and 
happiness depend on the character of the meteorology of the 
region inhabited. Virginia, as a whole, lies in the region of middle 
latitude between 36° 30' and 39° 30', giving it a climate of 
"means" between the extremes of heat and cold incident to States 
south and north of it. 

The climate is mild and healthful. The winters are less severe 
than in the northern and northwestern States, or even the western 
localities of the same latitude; while the occasional periods of 
extreme heat in the summer are not more oppressive than in 
many portions of the North. The diversified physical features 
exercise a marked influence on the climate, the temperature 
varying in the several sections according to their elevation, lat- 
itude and distance from the ocean. The variation is from a 
mean annual temperature of 64° in the low Tidewater belt to 
48° in the elevated mountain regions. The average temperature 
of the State is 56°. The summer heat of the Tidewater is tempered 
by the sea breezes; while in the mountain section the warm 
southwest trade winds, blowing through the long parallel valleys, 
impart to them and the enclosing mountains moisture borne from 
the Gulf of Mexico. As a place to live in all the year round, Virginia 
has no equal. The summers are not debilitating, and the occa- 
sional days of oppressive heat are succeeded by nights of refreshing 
sleep. The winters are never marked by extreme or protracted 
severity. Snow rarely covers the ground for any great length of 
time, and the number of bright, sunny days, even in the winter 
season is unusually large. In the spring the bright sunshine, 
pleasant days and buckling nature invite every one out of doors, 
and hooks and reel are in demand. Autumn, to many, is the most 
delightful time of the year. The bright, warm, sunny days, with 
just enough edge to the air to make one feel like moving, the cool 
nights unsurpassed for sleeping, the rich and varied colored 
wild flowers and the many colored autumn leaves, all conspire to 
make one stay out of doors and absorb health and life. 




NATURAL TUNNEL OF VIRGINIA. 
A Freak of Nature that has Amazed Thousands of Tourists. 



63 

Partridge and pheasant shooting, and fox hunting in the glorious 
autumn weather furnish the finest sport for the most exacting 
sportsman. 

The number of murky, foggy days is very small, and con- 
versely the number of sunny days is unusually large. The 
United States Weather Bureau gives as the number of fair and 
clear days for Hampton Roads 258.8, while for Boston 237.6. 
Thus the number of days when one is kept in doors on account 
of the weather is very small. 

In the more western portion of the State the temperature is 
lower generally, and in the southwest mountains the snow some- 
times lies on the ground for a considerable time, but the healthful- 
ness of this region is most excellent, and the size and physique of 
the men is superb. 

Along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge there is a belt of coun- 
try between 1,000 and 2,500 feet above the sea level, in which the 
humidity is exceedingly low, and in which the number of sunny 
days are very large. This region has little dew at night, owing to 
its low humidity, and has been found beneficial for consumptives 
and those troubled with pulmonary diseases. 

Virginia is also exceptionally free from wind storms and hurri- 
canes, never having any like those which frequent the Western 
plains and the States of the Southwest. Such a thing as a dwelling 
house being blown over is a practically unknown occurrence. 

Below is the mean monthly temperature of Virginia, Fahren- 
heit, for the last five years taken in July and December by the 
United States Weather Bureau of Richmond: 

Mean monthly temperature July Dec. 

1906 78.6 35.7 

1907 .'. = * 76.5 37.9 

1908 75.5 32.8 

1909 73.5 34.4 

1910 75.4 37.7 

The westerly winds are the prevailing winds. 

Rainfall 

The annual rainfall is from forty to sixty inches. It is fairly 
well distributed through the entire year. 



(33 

Commercial Facilities 

In respect to ready access to markets for the products of her 
soil, of her foundries and factories, and of her inexhaustible beds 
of coal and iron, as well as in respect to facility of purchase from 
the markets of the world without, Virginia is most favorably 
circumstanced. Six trunk lines of railroads penetrate and in- 
tersect the State. These, with their numerous branch lines, and 
their connections with other roads, place every portion of the 
State in communication with every principal port and city in the 
country. The lines of steamboats that ply the navigable streams 
of eastern Virginia afford commercial communication for large sec- 
tions of the State with the markets of this country and of Europe. 
At Norfolk and Newport News are ports that maintain communi- 
cation with the European markets by means of sea-going steamers 
and vessels, while from these ports is also kept up an extensive 
commerce along the Atlantic seaboard. The harbor of Hampton 
Roads, upon which these ports sit like crowned queens of com- 
merce, is the largest, deepest and safest upon the whole Atlantic 
coast. Upon its bosom the combined navies and commercial 
marine of the world can ride in safety, and with ample berth. 
As has been before stated, these ports are nearer than is New York 
to the great centers of population, and areas of production, of 
the West and Northwest. Chicago is nearer by fifty miles, in a 
direct line, to Norfolk than it is to New York. The harbor on the 
southern coast of England, between the Isle of Wight and the main- 
land, has been named, from its safety, the "King's Chamber." 
Hampton Roads, sheltered by the Virginia capes from the storms 
of the Atlantic, may well be regarded as our King's Chamber. 

Natural Wonders 

Many of the most marvelous natural wonders of the world are 
found in Virginia. The most widely known of these is the Natural 
Bridge, in Rockbridge county, fourteen miles from Lexington. 
It is a stupendous bridge of rock, and from it the county (Rock- 
bridge) received its name. It is 215 feet and six inches from the 
creek below to the top of the span of arch above. The arch is 
ninety feet in length, forty feet thick and sixty feet wide; and 
across there runs a public county road. On either side of this 
road there are trees and bushes, so that travelers frequently pass 



66 

over the stupendous chasm without being aware of its presence. 
This bridge is part of the roof of an ancient limestone cave. 

In the limestone section of the State there are numerous caves. 
The most noted of these are Weyer's Cave in Augusta county 
and the Luray Caverns in Page county. There are in both of 
these numerous halls, chambers and grottoes, brilliant with 
stalactites and stalagmites, and adorned with other forms curi- 
ously wrought by the slow dripping of water through the centuries. 

Crab Tree Falls near the summit of the Blue Ridge, in Nelson 
county, are formed by a branch of Tye river. They consist of 
three falls, the longest of these leaps of the stream being 500 feet 
This freak of nature, and the unsurpassed mountain scenery of 
the surrounding region, attract many tourists. The Balcony 
Falls, immediately where Rockbridge, Amherst and Bedford 
counties corner, the passage where the James river cuts its way 
through the Blue Ridge, presents a scene of grandeur, little, if 
any, inferior to the passage of the Potomac at Harper's Ferry 
through the same range of mountains. 

Mountain Lake, in Giles county, is a beautiful body of deep 
water, some 3,500 feet above the sea level. The water is so trans- 
parent that the bottom can be seen in every part. Pleasure 
boats sailing upon it pass above the trunks and tops of large 
trees that are plainly seen. This would indicate that the lake is 
not of very great antiquity. Mountain Lake is a great summer 
resort. 

The Dismal Swamp may properly be accounted a natural won- 
der. It is an extensive region lying mostly in Virginia, but 
partly in North Carolina, and covered with dense forests of cy- 
press, juniper, cedar and gum. It is a remote, weird region, in- 
habited by many wild animals. Its silence is broken by resounding 
echoes of the woodman's axe in hewing its trees that are of great 
value for the manufacture of buckets, tubs, and other varieties 
of wooden ware, and for shingles, staves and ship timber. In the 
middle of the swamp is Lake Drummond Oying entirely on the 
Virginia side), a round body of water, six miles in diameter, 
being the largest lake in the State. It is noted for the purity of 
its amber-colored water, the hue being derived from the roots of 
cypress and juniper. This water will remain for years without 
becoming stale or stagnant, and is used by ships and vessels 
going on long sea voyages. 



67 



Natural Tunnel, on the Virginia and Southwestern Railroad, 
in Scott county is a freak of nature that has amazed thousands 
of tourists. In the early days the buffaloes, found their way 
under the mountain through this tunnel; in their trail came the 
early Indians and behind him Daniel Boone who blazed the way 
for civilization; behind Boone and the early settlers who were the 
progenitors of the present native mountain stock, came the 
steel rail and the monster locomotive.' Today through this 
natural opsning, underneath the towering mountain, thebuffalo 




A COUNTRY HIGH SCHOOL IN VIRGINIA 

track has been wiped out and given way to the grinding wheels 
of steady commerce. 

Schools 

The people of Virginia are manifesting great interest in the 
movement for better schools. Associations for the improvement 
of the schools have been formed in every section of the State, and 
educators are constantly delivering addresses to interested audi- 
ences on the value of education and the importance of increasing 
the efficiency of our public school system. 



69 

The demand is going up from every section for better school- 
houses, better teachers and longer school terms. In addition to 
the primary and grammar schools all the cities and towns, and 
many of the rural districts, have excellent public high schools. 

During the past two years a standard of requirements for 
high schools has been prepared and put into operation in all of the 
State high schools. A course of study for primary and grammar 
grades has also been prepared and is being largely used in the State. 

Normal Training Departments 

The legislature appropriates annually for the establishment of 
normal training departments in the selected high schools of the 
State. These departments will aid very materially in providing 
a superior class of teachers for the rural schools. 

Agricultural High Schools 

The legislature of 1908 set aside the sum of $20,000 for the pur- 
pose of establishing departments of agriculture, manual training 
and domestic economy in at least one high school in each of the 
ten congressional districts. 

School Libraries 

Recent legislation has made liberal provisions for establishing 
both permanent and traveling school libraries. The Department 
of Public Instruction estimates that no less than four or five hun- 
dred new school libraries will be opened in Virginia during the 
next twelve months. 

Institutions of Higher Learning 

So high a standing have Virginia's institutions of learning that 
her colleges number among their students pupils from almost every 
State in the Union. The State has four splendid Normal Schools, 
maintained by State aid, for the preparation of women for the 
work of teaching in the public schools, located as follows : Farmville 
Harrisonburg, Fredericksburg and Radford, Virginia. 

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute at Blacksburg and the 
University of Virginia at Charlottesville are among the foremost 
institutions of the kind in this country. The Virginia Military 
Institute at Lexington, also a State institution, affords excellent 




s 

a 

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Qf HI 

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71 

instruction in military science, being second only to the United 
States Military Academy at West Point. 

In addition to these State institutions of higher learning, there 
are many excellent private and denominational colleges, as well as 
Washington and Lee University, a private institution of high rank. 

It will thus be seen that Virginia has a complete system of 
public instruction, extending from the primary grades to the uni- 
versity and the technical schools, and many private high schools, 
academies and colleges. 

Industrial training has been introduced into the public schools 
of some of the cities and towns, and the State Board of Education 
has made provision for introducing instruction in agriculture 
into the rural public schools, as well as in high schools previously 
mentioned. 

The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind at Staunton 
is one of the most efficient of its kind in the country. 

Virginia maintains an efficient system of public schools for 
colored children. 




7h%><^*>^ 



f^t/Ut^is 



What Governor Mann Says 



Thinking men in Virginia, familiar with conditions, have 
reached the conclusion that our State has just entered an era of 
agricultural development and prosperity such as we have never 
seen before. There is enthusiasm for agricultural pursuits, and 
results are being achieved, by the use of improved methods, 
which are astonishing men who have been farmers all their lives, 
but have been content to walk in the beaten paths. High lands 
in Southside Virginia, which formerly produced no grass at all 
have been made to yield from four to five tons of hay to the acre, 
and men who have regarded three or four barrels of corn as a 
fair crop are amazed when furnished with indisputable evidence 
of the production of from twenty to twenty-six barrels to the acre, 
and are assured by those who know that the limit has not yet been 
reached. In 1908, the average production of corn per acre in 
Virginia, including low grounds and the rich lands of the Valley, 
Southwest Virginia, the lands in Tidewater and the Northern 
Neck, was twenty-six bushels. I venture to predict that in less 
than five years the average will not be less than fifty bushels. 
And now that our boys are making crops of 122 bushels to the 
acre, our men must feel the stimulus, and there is at least good 
foundation for the hope that the interest manifested and the suc- 
cess attained by the boys will not only keep them at home and on 
the farm, but will result in great things for our State. 

Besides corn and grass, Virginia produces wheat, oats and 
other small grain. In Tidewater the water furnishes fish, oysters, 
clams, crabs and ducks, while the ground yields all manner of 
truck and in the greatest abundance. Our fat cattle, raised on 
the blue grass of the Southwest and other parts of the State, com- 
mand a premium in the markets of the world, and the exhibit of 
apples at the recent annual meeting of the Virginia State Horti- 
cultural Society has demonstrated that we can produce apples 
as good, if not better, than any other State. 



74 

Our mountains are full of coal and iron: our manufacturing 
interests are steadily growing, and on every hand there are in- 
dications of substantial progress. 

The interest of the people in good permanent roads has grown 
steadily in the last few years, and the State Highway Commission 
superintended the building and laying out of some 600 miles of 
roads in about sixty counties of the State. Counties are voting 
bond issues for the building of permanent highways and the people 
have become enthusiastic under the inspiration aroused by State 
aid. 

Our schools are keeping up with the progress in other directions, 
and have advanced their standards and increased their efficiency. 

It is confidently predicted that the assessment which takes 
place this year will show a great increase in the value of property, 
real and personal, and give the best evidence of the progress 
which the State has made during the last few years. 

We still have a good deal of uncultivated land which by the 
use of up-to-date methods can be made to produce as much crop 
as the land of any other State. We have a healthy climate, with 
no dread of cyclones or other of nature's destroyers, and last and 
best, we have 2,000,000 of as good people as live, people who are 
not surpassed anywhere, who are ready to welcome all worthy 
men and women who come to our State for the purpose of becom- 
ing citizens. 

I do not think there can be any risk in asserting that in less 
than ten years, land in many parts of Virginia will double in value, 
and some who are well informed go so far as to say it will, within 
that time, be worth three or four times its present price. 

Let every citizen feel a personal pride and responsibility in 
Virginia advancement, and use his best efforts in that direction. 



Northern and Western Farmers 
in Virginia 



The following letters from a few Northern and Western farmers, 
who have settled in Virginia, selected from a number of simi 
lar communications, will be found interesting to homeseekers. 

From Wisconsin 

Spring Grove, Va., January 10, 1911. 

I have made several visits to "Hollyside Farm/' owned and 
operated by 0. D. Belding, and each visit has increased my 
interest and respect for the results produced by intelligent industry 
on this little farm. Mr. Belding's farm consists of 25 acres lo- 
cated on the south bank of the James river at Claremont, about 
midway between Richmond and Norfolk. Five of the 25 acres are 
waste land, 3 acres are kept in pasture, and the remaining 17 acres 
are in constant cultivation. What this little farm has produced 
is best shown by the improvements that have been made upon it. 

When Mr. Belding took possession of the property about 15 
years ago he was without means and, during the first year on the 
place, was forced to "hire out" for a part of the time to pay 
current expenses. - At that time there were no buildings of value 
on the place, and the owner could provide but little personal 
property. Since then the following buildings have been erected: 
An excellent and convenient house; A large barn, well arranged 
for stock, grain, and hay (the hay is handled with machinery, 
and the barn is provided with one of the best equipped work shops 
I have ever seen on a farm) ; two good silos, one made of cement 
blocks; a good potato cellar with a two-story granary above it 
(a home-made elevator runs from cellar to third floor), a good 
tool shed, automobile house, corn crib, well curbed with cement 
blocks, wood house, and large cold frame. 

The fact that the owner not only planned all these buildings 
but also did a large part of the work of constructing them add to 



11 

one's interest as he visits the place. It should be remembered 
that every dollar of the cost of these buildings, as well as of the 
following machinery, was produced on the little farm: ensilage 
cutter; 5-horse-power gasoline engine; small threshing machine; 
hay baler; reaper; mower; riding sulky with ball coupling; acme 
riding harrow; potato planter; cream separator; sulky plow; 
buggy; automobile; and other implements too numerous to men- 
tion. 

One of the most productive fields on this little farm is a small 
piece of alfalfa which was cut four times during the past year, 
the cuts averaging one and a half tons, or a total of six tons, 
per acre. By using plenty of barnyard manure, cultivating well 
at the time, and selecting the seed according to the most approved 
methods the corn crop on the farm seldom yields less than 100 
bushels per acre, and it has gone as high as 150 bushels. 

The cultivation of a five-acre field best illustrates Mr. Belding's 
favorite rotation of crops. During the first part of June 1909 a 
good crop of Alsike and Red clover hay was cut from this field. 
Shortly after cutting the hay the land was plowed, and during 
the first week in July was planted with Irish potatoes. These 
were harvested the first ten days of November and was sown 
with winter wheat without plowing. During the winter the field 
was top-dressed with manure, and in March, Alsike and Red 
clover was sown with the wheat. The wheat was harvested the 
first part of July and the clover hay was sown about six weeks 
later. It will be seen that this rotation averages a little more 
than two crops per year, and yet the fertility of the soil is con- 
stantly increasing. During the past five years the potato crop 
from this field has averaged $100 an acre annually. During the 
same period, the little farm has not only given a good living to 
the family of four members and paid for the running expenses, 
but it has also produced a net profit of about $1,000 annually. 
To the farmer in need of inspiration and help in his work, we 
recommend a visit to "Hollyside Farm." 

And while visiting "Hollyside Farm" he should also drive a 
mile and a half farther east to the farm of J. M. Hughes, which is 
also located on the south bank of the James river. From May 1, 
1909, to July 1, 1910, Mr. Hughes raised and sold from five and a 
half acres of land the following crops: 



79 

8 tons crimson clover hay $128 . 00 

970 bushels Irish potatoes 500 00 

146 bushels of wheat 160.00 

3 tons wheat straw 30 . 00 

Total $818.60 

Mr. Hughes is a Wisconsin man who was attracted to Virginia 
by its beautiful climate and the cheapness and productivity of 
its soil. Immigration from the North and West into this section 
has been large during the past few years and the price of land 
is increasing annually, but cheap farms as productive as those 
cited above are still to be had and are only waiting for the 
enterprising farmer. O. J. Schuster. 

What a Wisconsin Farmer has Done in Surry County, 
Va., on Land Along the James River About One Mile 
From Claremont : 
Raised and sold $818.60 worth of farm products from 5 1-2 

acres of land in a little over one year, or from May, 1909, to 

July 1, 1910, as follows: 

Crimson clover hay, 8 tons sold for $16 per ton $128.00 

970 bushels Irish potatoes sold for 500 00 

146 bushels of wheat sold for $1.10 per bushel 160.60 

3 tons of wheat straw sold for $10 per ton 30.00 

Total $818.60 

J. M. H. 

From Denmark 

Virginia is a country with a climate warmer in the summer 
and colder in the winter than Denmark. If a Danish farmer 
wants to go to America, and wants to come on an American farm 
to learn the American customs and working methods, he can not 
go to a better State than Virginia. He is well paid and par- 
ticularly good dealt with. He must only make that work who 
is him enjoined in the way of plowing, sowing, feeding the cattle, 
and other things. Here is never enjoined a man more of work than 
he can make. 

Here on this farm, on which the undersigned resides at this 
time, there is a man with his wife and a child eight years old. 
The man gets $16 for the execution of the work, and the woman 
gets $12 the month to make the meat to (the) four men, inspect 
the poultry, and the milking. She churns the butter which we 
use in the housekeeping. We have a great house with a garden 
gratis. 



80 

The house is made one yard from the ground, on pillars of 
bricks. It is on two floors with four rooms and pantry. On the 
front of the house is a balcony with the same length as the house. 
The rooms are very great and light, with chimneys and good 
iron bed-steads, with mattress and four good and warm carpets. 
The furniture (tables, chairs, lamps and kitchen furniture) attends 
of course, with the house. 

The poultry consists of chickens, turkeys and ducks. The 
fuel we can use as much as we want, because here is great dis- 
tances of woods. Here is very much of water, and it is better than 
in Denmark. Of fruits we have the apples, pears and strawberries, 
and we can get different kinds of pot-herbs and flower seeds 
for sowing. A. W. Moeldrup, 

Eliam Nielsen. 
From Ohio 

I have just returned from a ten days trip to Virginia; was well 
pleased with the State. Secured an option on 200 acres of unim- 
proved land in Fluvanna county. 

Will say that there was nothings exaggerated in descriptive 
circulars relative to these lands. As soon as I can make arrange- 
ments, I will move there. A. H. Miller, 

Dayton, Ohio. 

Corn Growing by a New Settler in Virginia — 101 Bushels 
of Corn Per Acre 

What an acre of land can be made to do by better farming. 
Mr. Fred. Herzig, came from Kansas eight years ago, bought a 
farm in Southside Virginia, and has in that brief time improved 
the land enough to grow 101 bushels of corn on one acre. 

Virginia welcomes all such good farmers. He says, "I came here 
from Kansas eight years ago. I had lived on a farm two years 
in Kansas. (I am a Swiss) but the high winds and dry weather 
in Kansas made me look for another State. I had seen the offi- 
cial record of rainfall for Virginia and a description of her soil, 
so I came here and bought a place. My land, when I bought it, 
would not produce over twenty bushels per acre. I read all of 
the agricultural literature that I could get and commenced to 
farm by improved methods, sowing cow-peas, crimson clover for 
green fallow, using all of the domestic manures that I could raise. 
I am today making 101 bushels of corn to the acre. I like the 
State and the land, and believe Virginia will soon be the greatest 
agricultural State in the Union." 



Counties of Virginia 



ACCOMAC COUNTY. 

Accomac county is situated in what is known as the "Eastern Shore" section 
of Virginia, eighty miles east of Richmond; 60 miles from Norfolk, via railroad 
and steamer. It is about forty miles long, with an average width of ten-miles, 
and has an area of 478 square miles. 

Population, census of 1910, 36,650, an increase of 4,080 since census of 1900. 

This county is among the best of the Virginia counties in almost everything 
that goes to make up a great and thriving rural community. 

Its natural advantages are equalled by few and surpassed by none. It has 
a delightful climate, neither extreme of heat nor cold, the thermometer rarely 
ever reaching ninety-four degrees in summer, or falling as low as ten above zero 
in winter. Delightful sea breezes sweep over the land almost every day in summer. 
With the Atlantic ocean on one side and the Chesapeake bay on the other, the air 
is cooled in summer and warmed in winter by these bodies of water. 

Heavy snows are rare, as are severe freezes. Navigation is open almost every 
day in winter, and railroad trains are never blocked by snow. 

The surface of the county is smooth, even, and almost level, drained by Poco- 
moke river and a number of small creeks and inlets. Soil light loam, red clay 
subsoil, easily tilled, warm and productive. 

Farm products are sweet and Irish potatoes, corn, wheat, oats, vegetables, 
etc. There is no county in the United States that produces as many sweet potatoes, 
nor as fine as Accomac, it yielding fully five per cent, of the whole of that crop 
made in this county. The money value is enormous. 

Trucking is the leading farm industry. Besides the millions of bushels of pota- 
toes sold annually, are abundant crops of onions, garden peas, snaps, cabbage, 
kale, etc. 

The growth of large and small fruits in constantly increasing acreage bids fair 
to make this an important and profitable industry. Apples, peaches, black- 
berries and strawberries are the principal fruits cultivated, but all fruits common 
to the temperate zone thrive well. 

The fish and oyster industry is probably more valuable and extensive than in 
any other county of the State. Oysters of unequalled flavor, and fish in great 
variety and finest kinds aboimd; also clams, mandanose and crabs are not only a 
source of great revenue, but an important article of food to the inhabitants. The 
oyster industry is one of the chief pursuits of many of the inhabitants. Thousands 
of people make their money and their living out of the waters that surround the 
peninsula. The planting of oysters has developed into the most profitable branch 
of this industry. Thousands of acres of planting bottoms are now seeded with 
millions of bushel of oysters, and yet this branch of the business is just in its 
infancy; opportunities for profitable investment in this business are on every hand. 
Good planting grounds are being rapidly taken up, but there are still thousands 
of acres of good land left. Recent laws have made investments in this business safe 
and secure, and local investors are eagerly taking advantage of the opportunity. 
The oyster business the past year in this section has increased greatly, and prom- 
ises large development. 

This county has been termed the "Hunter's Paradise." Game is plentiful, 
both in winter and summer, on land and on water. The fields abound with part- 
ridges, the woods and meadows with snipe, woodcock, rabbits squirrels, raccoons, 
foxes and opossums. The rivers, creeks and bays with wild geese, brant ducks, 
curlew, plover and the sage hen. 

Stock and grazing facilities are very good. Trotting horses are raised with great 
success, also farm horses, dairy stock and sheep. Pasturage is good and abundant 



82 

on the ocean and bay sides of the county. This county was formerly noted for 
its wild ponies, that were native to this section, and not only a source of great in- 
interest, but of profit to the inhabitants. 

About sixty-five per cent, of land is in cultivation, balance in timber, consisting 
of oak, pine, chestnut, beech, gum and holly, of which the oak and pine are most 
abundant and valuable, but are being cut rapidly. 

Manufactories consist of lumber mills, barrel factories, flour and corn mills, 
carriage, cart and wagon factories. 

Railroad transportation is excellent, no farm being more than six miles from 
a railroad. The New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk to the north, east and west, 
and the Norolk and Western, Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line, Southern 
Railway, Virginian Railway, Norfolk Southern and Chesapeake and Ohio railroads 
greatly facilitate intercourse and business communication between this and all 
sections of the South and Southwest from Norfolk, and the New York, Phila- 
delphia and Norfolk and the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic railroads give 
daily communication with Baltimore, thus making this one of the most favored 
portions of the State in this respect. 

Water transportation cannot be surpassed, steamers and sail vessels on all 
sides. County is indented on east and west by numerous sounds, inlets and smaller 
water courses, navigable nearly their entire length, and furnishing means of tran- 
sportation to the markets of the large cities of the north and east, being within 
eight hours of Philadelphia and Baltimore and ten hours of New York. 

Educational advantages are very good — two good academies, several public 
high schools, and one hundred and fifty primary schools. 

Telephone service good throughout the county, every hamlet connected. 

Churches and mail facilities very desirable, many of the leading denominations 
represented and churches numerous and convenient. Mail facilities excellent. 

Water in upland very good; in lowlands indifferent. Unless artesian wells are 
resorted to, good flowers can be had at seventy-five or one hundred feet in depth. 

Health unsurpassed in eastern United States. 

Lands range in price from $20 to $40 per acre. Good lands near railroad or river 
sell for about $40 per acre, other lands as low as $20 per acre. Average value 
may be safely placed at $20 per acre. 

Financial condition of the county is excellent; but little bonded debt, and taxa- 
tion very moderate. 

Progress and general advancement of the county has been marked. No county 
in the State, except those immediately around large cities, has made such extensive 
and rapid progress as this one in the last twenty years. The past year especially 
has been one of great prosperity. Prices for all kinds of trucking have been good. 
This fact, together with the improved distribution of products through the Produce 
Exchange, an organization managed by the farmers, finds the people generally 
in a better condition than they have been for years, the products of land and sea 
for the county for the past year being safely estimated at two million dollars. 

Several new lumber mills have been put in operation, a great deal of building has 
been done, and the number of new dwellings is much in excess of any recent year. 
On the sea and bay side, a number of oysters shucking houses, employing hundreds 
of hands, have been built, and are in successful operation; this way of handling 
oysters having been found to be more profitable than shipment in the shell. In 
the town of Onancock, new gas works have been established, and a block of five 
large and commodious stores on the east side of North street erected, all of which 
are occupied, making that one of the busy centers of the county. 

Accomac, a pretty village, with an historical court house, is the county seat. 
Its records are very old and interesting. 



ALBEMARLE COUNTY. 

This is one of the big counties of Virginia and one of the oldest. It was carved 
out of Goochland in 1744, and then embraced the large territory now included in 
Albemarle, Amherst, Fluvanna, Nelson and portions of Appomattox, all of these 



83 

having been formed from it since. It is even now fifth in area of the 100 Virginia 
counties, and contains 755 square miles, and a population of 29.871, exclusive 
of the city of Charlottesville. Its altitude is 485 feet, 

Albemarle has a most favorable location as to climate and soil, being geographi- 
callv near the center of the State, with its western portion in the Blue Ridge 
region, and its eastern in the Piedmont, reaching into Midland Virginia, Its 
extensive area, being at its greatest length about forty miles, and greatest width 
nearlv thirty, gives scope for a diversity of soil and some difference in temperature. 
In the eastern 3 section, the soil is a dark, rich red clay, famous for wheat, which 
has for generations been characterized as the red wheat lands of Albemarle. Other 
paving products of the soil are corn, grass, oats, tobacco, all of which yield abund- 
antly under the fine tillage, which generally prevails in this county; then apples, 
peaches, pears and grapes are remarkably fine. In fact, the foothills and slopes 
of the Blue Ridge, where the soil is fighter and grayish, are the natural home of 
the apple, which reaches its greatest perfection here. The Albemarle pippin, 
of rare flavor and excellent keeping qualities, which finds a most remunerative 
market abroad, is grown in abundance. (It is treated specifically under the head 
of "Fruits," in the "Introduction" to this work). Some of the most profitable 
peach orchards in Virginia are to be found in this county, and in some places 
almost cover the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge from base to summit; the warm 
exposure favoring a size and flavor that makes the Albemarle peach popular in 
every market it reaches, Staunton, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Washington 
competing vigorously for the trade, which becomes active early in the season. 

Nowhere in Virginia does grape culture and wine production receive more 
attention than in this favored region, where the grape grows to a high degree of 
perfection, and large fruitful vineyards are seen on every hand, furnishing through 
a long season, large shipments to convenient city markets, to say nothing of the 
local demand bv town, village and rail-car fruit vendors. 

The Monticello Wine Company, located at Charlottesville, makes as good claret 
as is found anywhere, also excellent champagne. Many farmers have then pri- 
vate cellars, and make then own wine, and it seems, around Charlottesville, to 
be in almost as general use as in a province of France, while the trade to other 
home markets reaches an importance that surprises the stranger, and competes 
successfully in the foreign market. As much as 68,000 gallons of wine have been 
made in one season bv the Monticello Wine Company. 

In as good a grass"section as this county is, it is natural that much attention 
should be paid to stock raising. Many fine cattle and their way to market from 
the grass fields of Albemarle. As to horses, the finest blooded animals are raised 
and bring the best prices. This feature of the county's resources has of recent 
years received a new impulse from the successful and popular Horse Show organi- 
zation, which brings together annually a great many good horses, and some very 
superior racers and hunters from this* and adjoining counties. 

There are good facilities also for dairying, which is becoming more profitable 
every year, and sheep raising is a profitable industry, the long woolen breeds 
doing especially well on the luxuriant grasses of the Piedmont lands, and the finer 
wool breeds on the more mountainous, in the northern part of the county. Every 
farmer raises his own pork, cures his own bacon, and a great deal finds its way 

Few sections have better railroad opportunities, or better avail themselves of 
them. The Chesapeake and Ohio from west to east, straight through the county, 
the Southern from north to south, intersecting the former at Charlottesville, and 
the James river division of the Chesapeake and Ohio running along the southern 
border, afford, by their competing lines, cheapest access for freight and passenger 
traffic in every available market, 

All these superior inducements for immigration and investment have been 
appreciated, as is notably seen, by the settling of a great many men of means and 
enterprise from other States and counties. Fine estates have changed hands all 
over the county, elegant homes have been built, spacious ancestral halls have been 
handsomely remodelled, farms have been brought into a high degree of cultiva- 
tion, lands' in some sections increased in value 100 per cent, and more; a great 



85 

deal of money has been profitably invested, public revenues largely increased, 
and the whole county has advanced wonderfully along the lines of progress and 
prosperity. 

Among the developments, those of the mineral resources of Albemarle have 
not lagged. There are deposits of soapstone, iron, graphite, slate, etc. Large 
soapstone works have been erected at Alberene, reached by a short branch of the 
Southern railroad, and the output in bath tubs, house and kitchen utensils, etc., 
has developed an extensive industry very useful to the county. 

The Albemarle Slate Company works profitably a deposit of slate from which 
the best pencils known to the trade, an account of absolute freedom from grit, 
are claimed to be made. 

The Baltimore Graphite Company, located on the Southern, near Barboursville, 
manufactures that mineral extensively, which is widely used in Lubricating mate- 
rial. 

The Charlottesville Wooden Mills, on the Rivanna river, have long ago estab- 
lished an enviable reputation for the manufacture of fine cloths. They furnish 
the goods for the U. S. Naval Academy, the Philadelphia police uniforms, etc., 
and the superiority of their manufacture has brought about a constant demand 
which results in an ever increasing output. 

The church privileges are all that can be desired, and besides the 130 public 
schools, the Miller School — one of the greatest manual labor institutions in the 
country, with ample endowments — Pantops Academy, and the historical Univer- 
sity of Virginia, furnish rare educational advantages. 

Of this famous school, more special mention will be made in referring elsewhere 
among the cities of the Commonwealth to Charlottesville, the county seat, and its 
interesting surroundings. 

Crozet, on the main line of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, in Albemarle 
county, is located in the centre of one of the most famous fruit districts in the 
country, that of the famous Albemarle pippin, and is the largest fruit shipping 
point in the State, as many as 20,000 barrels of apples having already been shipped 
to all parts of the world this season. The neighboring mountains and valleys are 
well adapted to the growing of peaches, apples, strawberries, cherries and other 
fruits, and these products have taken the grand prizes at the Chicago, St. Louis, 
Buffalo and Jamestown Exposition. The peaches grown here are fully the equal 
of the Georgia peach, and the October peach does not come in competition with 
other Southern peaches, ripening as it does after the others are gone. 

The Virginia blue grass, which is indigenous to this section, makes excellent 
grazing so that the raising of cattle, horses and sheep is made very profitable. 
Grasses and grain crops are the equal of any in the world. 



ALEXANDRIA COUNTY. 

This county embraces one of the earliest settled portions of the State. As 
early as 1669 a colonial patent was laid on most of the land now included in the 
county, and settlements made a few years after. It was originally a part of Fair- 
fax county, during which time it was ceded to the General Government, and later 
(in 1846) was receded to Virginia, made a separate county, and named after its 
principal city, Alexandria. This county has ever been intimately associated 
with the name of General Washington, the seat of much of his early life and opera- 
tions, and its location has rendered it prominent in many of the thrilling scenes 
of that day, and later. It is ten miles long and averages two and one-half miles 
in width, located in the northeast part of the State, ninety miles north of Rich- 
mond. 

The roads of the county are among the best in Northern Virginia, and are 
constantly being improved. 

The climate is delightful; in summer, temperate; in winter, changeable, but 
not severe. 

Excellent markets are afforded by the cities of Alexandria, Washington, George- 



town, and a rapidly increasing non-productive population in the various towns 
of the county. The transportation facilities bring the producer of the county 
into close connection with the markets of the east and west, and many products 
of fruit, vegetables, poultry, and flowers are shipped in large quantities to these 
cities and bring fine returns to the produces. No section affords better facilities 
for marketing anything that can be produced by the fruit grower, the poultryman, 
the dairyman, the trucker and the florist. Lands are too high to raise ordinary 
farm products, having increased in value in the last ten years from 100 to 1,000 
per cent., and now range from $100 to $2,500 per acre. 

The area of the county is the smallest in the State, having 32 square miles — 
20,480 acres. Average size farm, sixty-five acres — in 1900 — at present, much less. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 10,231; numerous villiages, with hand- 
some homes, have sprung up like magic along the electric roads, with from 50 to 
1,000 inhabitants, notably Clarendon, Ballston, Mt. Ida, and Rosemont, the first 
two in the center and the last in the southern end of the county. An expenditure 
of over $100,000 has been made for improvements at Rosemont, which is as fine 
a sub-division as can be found anywhere. 

The Potomac railroad yards belonging to the Washington-Southern, are among 
the largest classification yards in the country, and cover over 1,000 acres, with 
a river frontage of about two miles, costing up to the present time, over $4,000,000, 
and giving employment to about 600 people. 

Manufactures are bricks (the yards supplying Washington with 80,000,000 
annually), abattoir, pork packing, brewery, large railroad and electric shops and 
yards, milling, lumber, sash, doors and blinds, glass and fertilizers, canning, cotton 
seed oil, lard, etc. 

This does not include those of Alexandria City, which consist of brick, shoes, 
overalls, boxes, glass and woodwork, barytes mills, knitting mills and machine 
shops. Canning works and fertilizers, brooms, baskets, electrical supplies, brewery, 
bottling soft drinks, shipyards, aprons, silk, leather, drugs, factories. 

The county has a national bank, and the advantages of the banks of Alexandria 
and Washington afford ample financial facilities for all industries. 

Soil fertile, especially the bottom along the streams (which are numerous), are 
well adapted to fruit, grain and garden truck. 

It is watered and drained by the Potomac and its tributaries, of which Hunting 
creek, the southern boundary of Alexandria city, is worthy of special mention, as 
a beautiful body of water fifteen or twenty feet in depth, and a safe harbor for 
vessels. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, and potatoes, the latter, both sweet 
and Irish, being a very important and profitable crop to the farmer. 

Fruits and vegetables of all varieties do well, and are raised in great abundance. 
There is no section of the State more highly favored as to a market for trucking, 
dairy and poultry, products, and these constitute an important and profitable 
industry to the county. 

The waters abound in water fowl, and fish of choice variety, such as bass, rock, 
shad and herring. 

There is considerable timber, such as white and red oak, chestnut and chestnut 
oak, poplar, maple, cedar, pine and locust. 

Water power consists of Great and Little Falls of Potomac, the finest in the State. 

Minerals and mineral waters are, of the former, brownstone, soapstone and clay 
for brickmaking; of the latter, suphur and iron. 

Water, steam and electric transportation places this county in quick, convenient 
and extensive communication with all sections of the country. With the Poto- 
mac river as an important water highway, and the railroads represented by the 
Baltimore and Ohio, Southern, Chesapeake and Ohio, Pennsylvania, Seaboard, 
and Atlantic Coast Line, besides electric lines connecting with Mt. Vernon, Falls 
Church, Great Falls and Naricks. No section of Virginia has better transporta- 
tion facilities. 

Telephone service is good, represented by the Southern Bell and Home. 

Educational advantages consist of a large number of excellent public and 
private schools. 



87 

Churches, mail facilities, water, health and financial conditions reported first 
class. County and State taxes, $1.50 on $100. 

Arlington, famous as having been the home of the Custis and Lee families, is 
in this county, a few miles above Alexandria. It was purchased by the National 
Government, and a portion of it appropriated to a National cemetery. 

Upon this historic place are also located Fort Myer, where a large force of United 
States troops are stationed and the National Experiment Station. 

Three bridges cannect the county with Washington — the chain bridge, the 
aqueduct bridge and the highway bridge — the latter costing $1,000,000. 

Large sales of unimproved land were made during December, 1909, ranging in 
price from $300 to $1,000 per acre, and options were taken upon a great portion 
of the remaining large acreage at even higher prices. 



ALLEGHANY COUNTY. 

Alleghany county was formed in 1822 from Bath, Botetourt and Monroe. It 
is situated in the western part of the State, one hundred and twenty-four miles 
west of Richmond, is twenty-six miles long, with a mean breadth of twenty miles — 
area 452 square miles. Altitude 1,295 feet. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, is 14,173. 

Climate very healthful and invigorating, and in summer delightful. 

Soil fight clay loam, very productive, especially on water courses. Watered 
and drained by the Jackson and Cow Pasture rivers, and other small streams. 
notably, Potts and Dunlap creeks, which also furnish very superior water power. 
The mountains contain immense quantities of valuable timber, such as oak, 
hickory, poplar, pine, ash and chestnut, large quantities of which are sawed and 
exported. 

The iron ore deposits of this county are very extensive and valuable, and are 
attracting the attention of capitalists, who have invested largely in ore lands 
and the erection of furnaces; also granite and cement limestone have been devel- 
oped, and hydraulic cement manufactured. 

Game of all kinds is abundant, offering an inviting field for sportsmen. 

Farm products are corn, oats, wheat, fruit and dairying. Stock raising is also 
a very valuable and important industry. This county is well supplied with 
churches, schools, newspapers and railroads, the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad 
traversing the county, connecting with the Warm Springs branch of the Chesapeake 
and Ohio at Covington, in this county. 

No county in the State perhaps can boast of more thrifty growing towns in the 
last decade, notably, Covington, Clifton Forge, and Low Moor. 

Low Moor, on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, is a place of considerable 
importance. The Low Moor Iron Furnace is located here, producing large quan- 
tities of iron of superior quality, and giving employment to a large number of people. 

Clifton Forge is the most populous town of the county, as shown by census of 
1900, and it has shown a marked increase in population since 1890, at which time 
the population was 1,790, while by the last census, 1900, it showed a population 
of 3,212, nearly doubling in the ten years. A large increase in population since 
last census appears also in the case of Covington, the county seat, which, by census 
of 1890 was 704, by census of 1900 it is 2,950, more than quadrupling its popula- 
tion in ten years, a remarkable growth that speaks well for the town and county. 

Among the more important industries of this town are the one million dollar 
plant of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, the Covington machine shops, 
and McAllister and Bell's flouring mills. There are also excellent systems of water 
works and of lighting by electricity, and an ice manufacturing plant, the large 
and valuable De Ford Company's tannery, and the Covington iron furnace of the 
Low Moor Company. The Moffett Brick Plant does a large business and has been 
instrumental in the erection of many substantial and handsome brick residences 
and business houses of the town and county. 

Clifton Forge, as has been before stated, is the largest town in the county, and 



89 

some of its citizens aspire to make it, at an early date, an incorporated city, in 
connection with its handsome suburb, West Clifton, as the population of the two 
towns has reached the necessary 5,000. 

The Chesapeake and Ohio shops, working a large force, are located here; also 
two banks, two newspapers, one a daily, several good churches, a handsome 
and well equipped railroad Y. M. C. A., a new building for the Chesapeake and 
Ohio railroad offices, and superior hotel accommodations. During the last few 
years an unusual number of large and expensive business blocks and private 
residences have been built, also a Masonic temple, all of which are equipped with 
steam heat, electric lights and water facilities, with which the ambitious town is 
well supplied. There were no failures in the town during the last year, indicating 
a healthy financial condition. 

Among the other smaller towns of the county are Iron Gate and Longdale, 
where there is a fine furnace (having been in blast thirty-five years, nor missed 
a pay day), and much activity in business; also there are besides the mines at 
the above-named furnaces, actively worked ones at Stacks, Rich Patch, and other 
points. Alleghany has inaugurated a system of road building, by means of which 
the public roads of the county have been much improved, and, in the more thickly 
settled sections of the county especially, there are some excellent public thorough- 
fares, which add greatly to the convenience and prosperity of this progressive 
people. 



AMELIA COUNTY. 

This county, formed from Prince George in 1734, located in southeast central 
portion of the State on south bank of the Appomattox river, twenty-seven miles 
southwest of Richmond, is thirty miles long and about ten miles in width; area, 
355 square miles. Its altitude is 361 feet. 

Surface is undulating, lands productive. Soil, chocolate, red clay, and gray 
loam, with clay subsoil; the latter readily improved, and especially adapted to 
wheat, corn, oats and tobacco, which are the principal farm products — especially 
tobacco, of which about 2,000,000 pounds of fine quality is produced annually. 
Potatoes, other vegetables, fruits, and dairy products are also important and 
profitable industries. 

The climate is temperate; winter short and mild; summers pleasant without 
extremes of heat. This county is well watered with freestone springs, and wells 
are to be had at an average depth of thirty feet, besides numerous springs and val- 
uable mineral properties. Climate is healthful; churches and public schools 
numerous and convenient. It is drained and watered by Appomattox river and 
its tributaries. The Appomattox, in the northern portion of the county, is open 
for navigation to Petersburg. 

The Southern railroad passes through the center of the county, and the Norfolk 
and Western near the southeastern border. 

Timber is abundant, consisting chiefly of oak, pine, hickory, and walnut. The 
lumber trade is of considerable importance; also bark and sumac are profitable 
industries. Large and valuable mineral deposits of iron, kaolin, soapstone, 
asbestos, plumbago, and mica are found in this county, especially the latter, of 
which there is said to be a vast amount and of fine quality — perfectly clear when 
split down to required thickness for merchantable use, 14x19 inches in size. Several 
valuable mica mines situated near Amelia Courthouse have been successfully 
worked, producing several hundred thousand pounds of fine sheet mica, besides 
several thousand tons of scrap and nearly an equal amount of felspar, so extensively 
used in the manufacture of china goods, glazing porcelain and common earthen- 
ware. There exist, in large amount, a combination of soapstone, abestos, and 
mica, valuable for stove backs, hearths, etc.; also an abundance of black mica, 
and in some sections beautiful amethyst of a pink and purple hue, some very 
deep in color. Outcroppings of granite, and fine indications of zinc are to be found, 
and valuable clays exist in large quantity. It is the opinion of a competent 



90 

mining engineer, who has visited this section, that if a thorough inspection was 
made of these various interests, and sufficient capital invested to properly develop 
them, they would prove of great value to the company working them and to the 
county as well. 

There are two tobacco factories, several roller and grist mills, and a number of 
lumber mills. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, is 8,720. 

Amelia Courthouse, the county seat, is situated near the center of the county, 
thirty-six miles from Richmond, on the Southern railroad, and has a population 
of about 300, one newspaper, one public school, several churches, seven stores, 
and a steam flouring mill. Jetersville, another village'on the Southern railway, 
forty-three miles from Richmond,* has four stores and other branches of business, 
and is a thriving place. These are the largest villages in the county. 



AMHERST COUNTY. 

Amherst county, a daughter of Albemarle, was made a separate county in 1761 • 
James river skirts its whole southeast^and southwest boundary for fifty miles, 
furnishing with Pedlar and Buffalo rivers, an extent of broad and fertile bottom 
lands, of which few counties in the State can boast. The altitude is 629 feet. 
The county has a length of twenty-two miles, and a mean width of nineteen, 
while its area is 464 square miles, and its population, by the census of 1910, 18.932, 
The proportion of colored inhabitants has decreased considerably in the last few 
years, and the white farmers are depending largely more on their own labor, which 
is more reliable and efficient. 

The crops raised are principally tobacco, corn, and wheat; while the soil and 
climate are well adapted to oats and grass, but tobacco may be regarded as the 
principal money crop, and is of fine weight and texture, the farmers realizing 
at this time good prices, higher than of late years. The red lands along the valley 
of the Blue Ridge and Tobacco Row mountains are very fine, easily cultivated 
and retentive of farm manures, producing finely clover, timothy, and orchard 
grass, following tobacco and wheat. 

While Amherst is among the leading agricultural counties in the State, it is 
rapidly advancing to the front as a fruit section, yielding that popular variety, 
the winesap, abundantly, and the celebrated Albemarle pippin succeeds admirably. 
The eastern slopes of the mountains are favorable to the culture of grapes, the 
vine flourishing and yielding kindly to proper culture. 

Timber is oak, hickory, pine, walnut, chestnut, and locust, principally, much 
of the best of it being converted profitably into lumber, for there are some good 
sawmills which are by no means idle, and transportation facilities by means of 
the Southern, the Cheaspeake and Ohio, and the Norfolk and Western railroads 
are easy and quick to Lynchburg, Richmond, Danville, Washington and con- 
venient eastern and southern cities. Lynchburg, one of the principal manufactur- 
ing cities of the State, presents a fine market right at the door, as the county and 
city are connected by a good free bridge over James river. 

Amherst four years ago took the lead in improved roads under the State, plan, 
and has built and will complete in the next twelve months twenty-two miles of 
the best Macadam road in the State, leading from Lynchburg through the county 
in two directions, one to Amherst Courthouse and the other through Pedlar valley. 
This was done by a bond issue, and so far, the tax rates has not been increased, 
and it is believed it will not be. Most of those who opposed it then favor it now. 
It is believed when this contract is completed the county will build as much more 
road, which wiU put Amherst among the foremost counties in the State in road 
improvement. The influx of new citizens now is the result of this step. 

The county contains immense and valuable outputs of minerals, such as mag- 
netic and specular iron, well suited for the manufacture of steel by the Bessemer 
process. Brown hematite iron ores are also in great abundance, and so situated 
as to be cheaply mined. These ores are found near by or in contact with limestone, 
and there are not a few of these iron mines now being profitably worked. 



91 

The celebrated soapstone vein through Albemarle and Nelson extends through 
Amherst, and is valuable, lying between the Southern and Chesapeake and Ohio 
railways, about five miles from each. 

Besides the minerals named, there are copper, which has been mined, slate, 
plumbago, p3Tite, ochre, and steatite, found in the county. The Blue Ridge, 
on the northwest, protects the county from the cold northers, and guarantees 
for man and beast moderate winters, while the absence of severe heat in summer 
insures a pleasant average climate all the year round. 

There is considerable grazing of cattle on the indigenous grass of the mountains 
by stockmen who buy elsewhere and bring them to this section, where they can 
be cheaply kept. This is quite a business in Amherst. 

The manly sport of fox hunting is indulged in greatly to the delight of the young 
people of Amherst, and there are some as fine mounts as can be found, while 
game in many parts of the county, such as deer, bear, wildcats, squirrels, hares, 
wild turkeys, partridges and pheasants abound. Church and school privileges are 
not neglected. In fact, one of the finest equipped female seminaries in the South, 
known as Sweet Briar Institute, is located on a grand old estate two miles from 
Amherst Courthouse and twelve from Lynchburg, on the Southern railroad, It 
is the result of an endowment of $800,000 in money and land, and was opened in 
the fall of 1906 and has brilhant prospects of success. 

Amherst, the county seat, is a pleasant little town on the Southern railway, 
fourteen miles from Lynchburg. It has two weekly papers, a bank, six stores, 
and some very desirable family residences. 



APPOMATTOX COUNTY. 

This historic county of Appomattox was formed, in 1845, from the neighboring 
counties of Buckingham, CampbeU, Prince Edward, and Charlotte. It is about 
sixty-five miles air-line, 100 miles by rail, west from Richmond; twenty-six miles 
long and eighteen miles wide, with an area of 342 square miles, and a population, 
by the last U. S. census, of 8,904. The county is well watered by the James 
river, forming its northwestern boundary, and its tributaries; by the Appomat- 
tox and its tributaries, and by some of the tributaries of Staunton river. Its 
average altitude is 825 feet. 

The surface of the county is generally rolling, and even hilly in many portions, 
though there is a large proportion of bottom land along the rivers and creeks, 
which water the county well, and furnish ample water power that is utilized to a 
considerable extent by several good grist and sawmills, though there is much of 
the finest power undeveloped as yet, and the county as a whole is the first level 
county east of the Blue Ridge mountains. 

The soil is varied, consisting largely of a stiff red clay, easily improved, respond- 
ing well to the use of fertilizers and prudent cultivation, similar in character to 
the famous red wheat lands of Albemarle, and producing that grain well, when 
properly treated. There is also much gray, light and friable slate soil, and the 
bottoms are rich and productive. Lands can be brought here now much more 
reasonably than in some other sections of the State, where they are naturally 
no better, or even as good. There are no large towns, eight-tenths of the popula- 
tion living in the country, so that Appomattox is strictly an agricultural county. 

Land which sold in 1900 at $6.00 per acre is now held with offers at $12.00 re- 
refused. 

The Bank of Appomattox, at the county seat, which showed a deposit in 1901 
of $16,800 reported, September, 1909, $114,000. There is also a prosperous bank 
at Pamplin, and a large new tobacco warehouse. 

Tobacco is the principal crop, and grass and hay are very profitable; $146 net 
for one acre of white Burley tobacco; ninet3 r -one bushels of shelled corn to the 
acre, and three tons of hay to the acre weighed and measured, 1909 crop. Stock, 
fruit and vegetables do well here. 

Oak, hickory, walnut chestnut, and maple timber are abundant and being 
profitably worked. 



93 

The educational and religious facilities are ample, being furnished by a number 
of good schools and prosperous churches. 

The principal towns are Pamplin and Appomattox, each having a population 
of from 500 to 700. Pamplin is widely known on account of its manufactures of 
clay pipes, many styles of which are made at the large factory here, said to be the 
largest clay pipe factory in the world, from which pipes are shipped by the carload 
all over the country. 

Appomattox, the county seat, on the Norfolk and Western railroad about twenty- 
five miles from Lynchburg and thirty-five from Farmville, is a prosperous new 
town, with fine new courthouse, jail and offices, two live newspapers, bank, three 
good hotels, ten stores and handsome residences. Lawyers, physicians, real estate 
agents, with local and long distance telephone connection, manufacturing mill, 
sawmill, a drug store, and tobacco warehouses. 

A handsome agricultural college has just been completed at a cost of $20,000 — 
free tuition. 

Three miles northeast is Old Appomattox Courthouse, known locally as "The 
Surrender Ground," where General R. E. Lee surrendered April 9, 1865, the 
depleted remnant of the Confederate Army to the overwhelming Federal forces 
under General Grant, thus making this one of the most famous spots in the country, 
ranking with Yorktown, where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, 19th Octo- 
ber, 1781. 

The Federal authorities have added greatly to the attractiveness of the Surrender 
Ground, which embraces several hundred acres, by placing enduring metal tablets 
at various notable points, such as Lee's headquarters, Grant's headquarters, 
the traditional apple tree, the place where the old McLean house, in which the 
surrender took place, stood, now a ruin as well as most of the houses in the old 
village. The Confederates have also placed on the grounds two handsome monu- 
ments, one by Virginians, the other by North Carolinans, and an effort is being 
made to have Congress establish a National Park here, which will perhaps ultim- 
ultimately be accomplished. 



AUGUSTA COUNTY. 

Augusta was formed from Orange in 1738, and ranks among the first of the 
counties in the great Shenandoah valley and of the States in importance and first 
in area. It is situated near the head of the Shenandoah valley, in the south- 
western part of the State, 120 miles northwest of Richmond, and is the largest 
county in the State, being thirty-five miles long and thirty miles wide, containing 
an area of 1,012 square miles. Average size farms, 175 acres. The aggregate 
value of its real estate exceeds any other county in the State. Altitude 1,380 
feet at Staunton. 

The eastern and western sections of the county are uneven and mountainous, 
central portion undulating. The lands are varied in character, very fertile and 
productive; yielding large crops of corn, oats, wheat, iye and the grasses — natural 
and cultivated. This county ranks at the head of the list of counties of the State 
in the production of wheat, hay and oats, yielding over one-half million bushels of 
wheat, and 25,000 tons of hay. It is also noted for the number and superior 
quality of its flouring mills, one of which has a capacity of 500 barrels per day. 

Stock raising is also one of its most profitable and important industries, its 
mountain ranges affording excellent pasturage, and its abundant hay crop avail- 
able for winter feed. 

Under such favorable conditions, this county has become noted for its fine horses, 
cattle, and sheep, and its abundance of dairy products. 

Water supply is from springs and wells of excellent quality, also numerous 
mineral springs, noted for their valuable medicinal qualities, that attract a large 
number of visitors from this and other States. The chief water courses of the 
county are the North, South, and Middle rivers, which, uniting form the Shenan- 
doah river. These streams afford fine water power, upon which are located numer- 
ous flouring mills, sawmills and wood works. 



95 

Timber abounds in large quantities, from which a fine revenue is derived. Prin- 
cipal varieties: Oak, hickory, walnut, ash, poplar, pine, chestnut, locust, etc. 
Minerals are numerous, consisting of iron, manganese, coal, kaolin, slate, marble 
and limestone, much of which has been developed. The Crimora Manganese 
Mines Co. have sold over $1,000,000 of their output, and are working to advantage. 
Some of the most noted natural curiosities of the State are to be found in this county 
such as Wyers Cave of Fountains, the Cyclopean Towers or Natural Chimneys; 
and Elliott Knob of the North mountains, 4,437 feet high, ranks among the high- 
est points in Virginia. Churches and schools are of unusual number and con- 
venience. No section in the State is more highly favored in this respect. The 
population of the county, was, by the census of 1910, 32,445. 

The county is well supplied with railroads, embracing the Chesapeake and 
Ohio, the Chesapeake and Western, the Norfolk and Western and the Baltimore 
and Ohio; the first two traversing the county from east to west, and the others 
from north to south, intersecting the Chesapeake and Ohio at Staunton, and at 
Basic City, twelve, miles apart. The Valley pike, a well-kept Macadam road 
between Staunton and Winshester, ninety miles, is equal to any road in Virginia. 
Staunton, the county seat, is the most important city of the Shenandoah Valley. 
(See Virginia cities.) 

Waynesboro, the largest town, is beautifully and eligibly situated on the south 
branch of the Shenandoah river, half mile from the junction of the Chesapeake 
and Ohio and Norfolk and Western railroads. It is an important business center 
for one of the richest sections of the county, having an excellent bank, several 
prosperous manufactories, a large flouring mill, and some of the largest stores in 
the county. It has large and prosperous Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist 
churches, and the best of schools, embracing the Fishburne Military Academy, the 
Valley Female Seminary and a well-conducted graded public school. Basic City, 
a good new town of Augusta county, half mile from Waynesboro, on the opposite 
side of the South Branch river, is the important junction of the Chesapeake and 
Ohio and Norfolk and Western railroads, and has also a bank, several churches, 
a graded public school and several growing factories. There are also in the county 
several prosperous villiages, such as Craigsville, on the Chesapeake and Ohio 
railroads; Fordwick, the seat of the large Portland Cement Works; Greenville, 
Middlebrook, Mt. Solon, Mt. Meridian, Mt. Sidney, Stuart's Draft, and others, 
interspersed among the rich and properous sections of the county. These towns 
are all well provided with telephones — in fact, no county in the State has a better 
telephone system, which reaches every villiage and farming community in the 
county. A company with $250,000 capital has been organized to build and operate 
an electric road to run from Staunton to Newport, eighteen miles, which will 
add greatly to the transportation facilities of the county. There is also a good 
Macadam pike from Staunton to and beyond Newport, passing through a fine 
section of the county, which greatly enhances the value of farming lands along 
its route. 



BATH COUNTY. 

This county, located on the western border of the State, 120 miles northwest 
of Richmond, was organized in 1790 from parts of Augusta, Botetourt, and Green- 
brier counties. Eleven hours by Chesapeake and Ohio railroad from Cincinnati, 
six and one-half hours by rail from Washington, D. O, and Richmond, Virginia. 
Its mean altitude is 2,195 feet. 

Its people are originally Scotch-Irish, having come from Pennsylvania to this 
section, beginning about 1740. Contains a population, by census 1910, of 6,538. 
Area of county, 548 square miles. 

Portion of the county is mountainous; balance rich bottom lands, very fertile, 
though small in area. Well watered by its numerous springs, and Cow Pasture 
and Jackson rivers. 

The climate and scenery are unsurpassed. Reference to the Weather Bureau 



96 

reports of the United States show this county to possess a very equable temper- 
ature of neither very great extremes of heat or cold, and ample rainfall, well dis- 
tributed. 

In no part of the world, as shown by statistics, is there a more general state of 
good health, or a more long-lived, vigorous people, and in no country in the tem- 
perate zone do the inhabitants, from choice, stay more in the open air and open 
houses to the weather. 

This summary is strengthened by the fact that the large hotel at the Virginia 
Hot Springs in this county is kept open the year round as a health resort, and has 
a goodly number of guests the entire year. 

Bath county has long been famous for its numerous mineral springs, to some 
of which invalids have resorted since the beginning of the last century. The Warm 
Springs were known for their curative properties as early as 1750. 

The most widely known are the Warm Springs, the county seat; the Hot Springs, 
five miles south of the Warm Springs; Healing Springs, eight miles south of Warm 
Springs; Bath Alum, five miles east of the Warm Springs; MiUboro Springs, 
twelve miles east of the Warm Springs, and two miles distant from Millboro depot; 
Walla-watoola, one mile south of MiUboro Springs, and Bolar Springs, seventeen 
miles north of Warm Springs. Great numbers of visitors resort to these springs 
in the summer time and to the Virginia Hot Springs all the year round, bringing 
into the county and distributing much ready money for supplies. 

The Hot, Warm and Healing Springs are reached by the twenty-five mile branch 
road from Covington, on the main line of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, and 
they are constantly constructing buildings to meet the increased patronage of the 
place. 

Blowing Cave, of this county, is worthy of note as one of the great natural 
curiosities of the State. 

The industries of the county are mainly farming, grazing, tanbark and lumber 
business. Principal products are hay, corn, wheat and oats. 

Fruit culture is also important and profitable in this county, embracing apples, 
peaches, pears, plums, cherries, grapes and berries, all of which produce fine crops 
and find a ready home market at good prices. Large apple and peach orchards 
abound, of increasing size and number. 

Grazing facilities are unexcelled. Most of the lands take naturally to grass; 
all you have to do in most sections to obtain a sod is to cut off the timber, let in 
the sunshine, and the grasses spring up without further attention, and in the 
woods there is a rich growth of wild grasses and other wild growth, on which 
cattle and sheep do well for six months in the year. When they come from the 
mountain ranges, as they are called, without any cost, other than salting of them, 
they are fat and ready for the markets. 

Under these favorable conditions the raising of cattle, sheep and hogs is one 
of the principal industries of the county, and one of the most profitable. 

Washington, Richmond, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York, in a few hours 
run, are excellent markets for the sale of stock. 

Timber is abundant, except on the main line of the Chesapeake and Ohio rail- 
road, where it has been culled out. There are large and valuable bodies of pine, 
oak, poplar and hickory timber, and some walnut, locust and cherry; scarcely 
a section of the county but has one or more stream sawmills in operation, and some 
equipped with planing machinery. 

For some years the shipping of tanbark has been an important industry, and 
the volume of business in that line is on the increase. 

A variety of minerals is to be found, such as iron, manganese, coal and marble; 
but iron is of most extent and interest, the others as yet undeveloped. The 
development of the mineral interests of the county is destined to be an important 
factor in its growth and progress. 

Water power is excellent, affording many opportunities for the establishment 
of manufactories, etc. Streams are well stocked with trout and bass. 

The county has a special recommendation in that its public roads are good, 
well built and well kept. 

Railroad transportation is ample, consisting of the main line of the Chesapeake 



or 

and Ohio, which traverses the eastern part of the county, with branch lines ex- 
tending into other portions. 

Telephone service is good; local lines cross the county in two directions, giving 
good service to most important places. These connect with lines into all adjoin- 
ing counties. Southern Bell Telephone to Hot Springs gives all long-distance 
connections. The free school system is kept to a high standard of excellence, 
and, in addition, there are good private boarding schools. 

The churches are Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Dunkard and 
Catholic. These have houses of worship at convenient points throughout most 
of the county. 

Progress and general advancement of county most encouraging in every respect. 
Financial condition, splendid; two good banks; water and health excellent. 

Property, real and personal, is valued at what it would bring at a forced sale for 
cash, and the tax rate for all purposes, including State, county and district pur- 
poses of all kinds, averages about $1.00 on the one hundred dollars' worth of pro- 
perty. 

Warm Springs, the county seat, is located in the central part of the county. 
The courthouse, jail and county offices are here near by the famous springs, con- 
stituting an attractive village, which is delightfully situated in the richest and 
most fertile part of the Warm Springs valley. 



BEDFORD COUNTY. 

The county was formed in 1753 from Lunenburg, and lies at the eastern base 
of the Blue Ridge mountains, in the southwest central part of the State, 100 miles 
southwest of Richmond. It is one of the largest counties of the State, being 
forty miles long and about thirty miles wide, containing an area of 729 square 
miles. Its average altitude is 900 feet. 

Surface is broken, and, in western portion, mountainous, but very productive, 
and well watered by springs, brooks and creeks, with Otter river in center, and the 
James and Staunton rivers on northeast and southwest borders. 

Climate is mild and healthful, attracting large numbers of visitors from the South, 
who spend their summers at the various hotels and summer boarding houses that 
are open each season for the accommodation of guests. This is one of the richest 
and most productive and thickly settled counties in the James River valley, con- 
taining a population, cnnsus of 1910, of 29,549. 

The soil is red clay and light gray, or slate, producing abundant crops of wheat, 
corn, rye, oats and tobacco, average yield of which is about fifteen bushels of wheat, 
twenty-five bushels of corn, twenty bushels lye, twenty-five bushels oats, and 
1,000 to 1,500 pounds tobacco per acre. The latter is probably the most profit- 
able industry of the county. Fruit is also worthy of special mention, and this 
county may be veiy promptly classed as one of the five fruit counties of the State, 
the mountainous portions of which are especially adapted to fruit of all kinds, 
and in this section blue grass is indigenous, affording most excellent grazing 
facilities. The dairy interest is also of considerable importance and profit to 
this section. 

This county contains many diversified industries, notably, flouring and saw 
mills of large capacity. Churches and schools are numerous and convenient. 

The railroads are the Chesapeake and Ohio, extending along the south branch 
of the James river, and the Norfolk and Western through its middle part, from 
east to west, furnishing transportation to the markets north and south. 

Minerals numerous, and of superior quality, such as iron, zinc, asbestos, kaolin, 
silver, barytes, mica, slate, lead, and limestone. 

Timber is extensive and valuable, embracing walnut, chestnut, hickory, pine, 
poplar, locust and oak. 

Game is abundant. Wild animals are bear, deer, fox, otter, beaver, mink, 
weasel, raccoon, opossum and squirrel; wild fowl — turkey, goose, duck, crane, 
snipe, woodcock, pheasant and partridge. 



98 

The celebrated Peaks of Otter, noted for their sublime, picturesque scenery, 
are situated in this county, a few miles from Bedford City, the county seat. They 
have an altitude of 4,001 feet above sea level, and can be seen, under favorable 
conditions of atmosphere, from beyond Lynchburg, fifty-five miles distant. 

Bedford City, the county seat, on the Norfolk and Western railroad, is located 
near the center of the county, and surrounded by a beautiful, picturesque section 
of country. It contains a number of tobacco factories, several warehouses, woolen 
and spoke factories, flouring and planing mills and machine shops, besides numer- 
ous churches, newspapers, schools — public and private, including the Randolph- 
Macon Academy — banks, water works, and plant for electric lights. Population 
by census of 1900, 2,416. 

The past few years have been marked by the greatest industrial development 
and building activity in this town. A new bank has been established, new indus- 
tries inauguarted, and more residences erected than during the entire preceding 
ten years. The postal receipts were the largest in the experience of the office. 

The banking business is reported the largest since the fictitious days of 1890. 
The Lynchburg Trust and Savings Bank has built one of the most attractive 
bank buildings in the State. 

The export tobacco business is assuming considerable proportions, and the 
receipts for the new tobacco year will, it is thought, be between 4,000,000 and 
5,000,000 pounds. 

A very successful cigar factory has been added; an ice factory, a large carriage 
factory, stores and storage houses have been erected. But the new industry 
pregnant, perhaps, with the largest possibilities, is the establishment of the Frazer 
Paint Works. This is both elastic and water proof, properties possessed by no 
other known pigment found in this county. The company developing it began 
with a cash capital of $60,000, but men of wealth are behind the enterprise. 

The asbestos mines south of Bedford City have been purchased by Pennsylvania 
capitalists. 

Many new residences have been built, and there is not a vacant house in the 
town for rent. The price of real estate has advanced materially, especially in 
the business section. 



BLAND COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1861 from Wythe, Giles and Tazewell, and is located 
in southwestern part of the State, 195 miles southwest of Richmond. Population, 
census of 1910, 5,154. 

It contains an area of 352 square miles. Surface is broken and mountainous 
to a considerable extent. Portions of the latter are very valuable for grazing 
purposes, and the valley lands are very rich. 

Soil black loam and reddish clay, very productive and well adapted to the 
usual farm products of this section, such as corn, rye, oats, wheat, buckwheat, 
potatoes and the grasses, especially blue grass, which is indigenous to this section, 
and, in consequence, stock raising has become the most profitable industry of 
the county, especially cattle and sheep, large numbers of which are of fine quality 
and are shippped annually to the large markets, or sold to the dealers who come 
into the county to buy. This county is also well adapted to fruits of all kinds, 
that grow to great perfection. 

The timbers of this county are walnut, poplar, pine, oak, ash, hemlock, sugar 
tree, hickory and beech, and abound in large quantities of exceptionally fine 
quality. This is destined to be a valuable industry in the county when reached 
by railroads, which would also develop the valuable mineral deposits of this 
section, consisting of iron, coal, lead, zinc, copper, manganese, slate, kaolin, 
ochre, barytes, and slate. Coal is also found and mined. 

Mineral springs are numerous and of fine medicinal quality. Some have been 
improved and opened to summer visitors, notably Sharon Springs, which is a 
delightful resort 2,850 feet above sea level, with a climate unexcelled, dry and 



99 



exhilarating, and an abundance of clear, pure water — limestone and freestone. 
No more healthful section of country is to be found, and it is an Eldorado for 
the sportsman, with its abundance of game and streams abounding with fish, 
embracing the noted mountain trout. The water courses of the country are 
Walker's and Wolf creeks, and other smaller streams, which afford unlimited 
water power, and of a high order, as to fall and location for development. The 
nearest railroad station at present is Wytheville, twenty miles distant from the 
county seat, on the Norfolk and Western railroad, but a new line of railroad is 
being built up Wolf creek, in the northern section of the county, which will develop 
many industries in that portion of the county, and eventually be extended to 
embrace a much larger portion of the county. Telephone service and mail facil- 
ities are good, with daily mail and 'phone service to all parts of the county. 
General conditions in this county are highly favorable, with a sober and indus- 




THE RIVERS OF VIRGINIA WILL PRODUCE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF POWER. 

trious population. Schools and churches are numerous and convenient. Fi- 
nancial conditions are good, with a very nattering outlook for future progress 
and advancement. 

Seddon, the county seat, located near the center of the county, has a flouring 
mill high school, newspaper, two churches, and a population, by census of 1900, 
of 249. It is centrally and conveniently located, with good turnpike roads di- 
verging north, south, east and west. 



BOTETOURT COUNTY. 

Botetourt county, named in honor of Lord Botetourt, Governor of the Colony 
in 1768, was formed in 1770 from Augusta, extending at the time of formation 
to the Mississippi river. Its present limits are forty-four miles long and eighteeu 
miles wide, situated between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains, in the 



100 

western part of the State, 115 miles west of Richmond. Altitude, 1,250 feet. 
It contains a population, by census of 1910 of 17,727. 

Area, 548 square miles; surface rolling, partly mountainous; central portion 
a beautiful valley, very fertile; soil loam, with clay subsoil, well adapted to the 
production of grain, grasses, tobacco, fruits, etc.; the mountain ranges affording 
excellent pasturage for horses, cattle and sheep, of which superior breeds are raised. 
The fine blue grass sod, to which the land runs naturally, renders dairying an 
important industry. Tobacco is also produced to some extent, and of superior 
quality, but fruit and vegetable culture, to which this county is especially adapted 
is probably its most important and profitable industry, bringing to the county 
large revenues. 

It is a notable fact that Botetourt has more canneries than any other county 
in the State, numbering about 175, and even stands near the head of the list 
in the United States in that industry, tomatoes being the chief product. So 
great was the demand for cans here, that in 1903 the Virginia Can Company 
organized at Buchanan — by Mr. O. C. Huffman, of Staunton, Virginia, its head 
ever since — which succeeded from the outset, making and selling 2,250,000 cans 
that year, the second year over 7,000,000, and in 1905 nearly 10,000,000 tin 
cans. This company sold in 1906, 13,000,000 cans; 1907, 16,000,000 cans; in 
1908, 14,000,000; and in 1909, 11,000,000 cans. The cause of the falling off in 
1908 and 1909 was due to the fact that the Old Dominion Can Company at Trout- 
viUe (this county), was established; this company did not make very many cans 
in 1907, but succeeded very well the following years. This immense product 
of home enterprise goes in carload lots to North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, 
and other Southern States, and to the far West. A well-equipped box-making 
plant, which furnishes cases in which much of the output is shipped, has been 
recently added to the establishment, and the orders for this year indicate a larger 
business than ever before. Peaches, corn, apples and berries are also large prod- 
ducts of the Botetourt canneries, the total amount of canned goods reaching 
the enormous figure of from 250,000 to 350,000 cases annually. 

Railroads are the Chesapeake and Ohio, and Norfolk and Western, with their 
branches, which extend through the length and breadth of the county, furnishing 
easy and ready access to all principal markets. 

Rivers are the James and its numerous tributaries, also Cow Pasture and Jack- 
son rivers, which afford superior water power. 

Manufactories are numerous, embracing stave mills, planing mills, foundry 
and shops, iron furnaces, tanneries, woolen mills, large lime plants, and flour and 
sawmills of large capacity. There are eight sawmills in Bouetourt, and large 
quantities of poplar, oak and chestnut lumber are sawed. Timbers are poplar, 
walnut, oak, ash, pine, hickory, maple and chestnut. 

Minerals are iron, coal, manganese, barytes and marble, the most extensive 
and valuable of which is iron, which exists in immense quantities. Mineral waters 
are lithia, sulphur, ferro-magnesia and alum, at which springs pleasant summer 
resorts are established, attracting numerous visitors. • 

Trucking is a growing and important industry, furnishing the markets of Roa- 
noke, Clifton, Covington, etc. 

The streams abound with fish of various kinds, such as bass, carp, mountain 
trout, suckers, pike, etc. 

Game found in the county are deer, fox, squirrel, hare, mink beaver, otter, 
muskrat, weasel, wildcat and opossum. 

Wild rowels are wild turkey, phesant, partridge and woodcock, birds, hawks, 
owls, crows, robins, snipe, blackbird, thrush, lark, wren and dove. 

Climate mild and temperate — no extremes of heat or cold. 

Health is good, and water abundant and pure — limestone and freestone. 

Churches and mail facilities first-class; churches in all portions of the county, 
and daily mail to every postoffice. 

Educational advantages are of a high order, embracing numerous free schools 
and several graded schools. Hollins Institute is a large female school of wide 
reputation. 



101 

Telephone service excellent. Three lines through the county furnish local and 
long-distance service to all sections. 

Market advantages are very good, there being quick and easy access to all 
markets, north, east, south and west. 

The people are sober, industrious and progressive, and their financial condition 
highly favorable. 

Principal towns are Fincastle and Buchanan. 

Fincastle, the county seat, has a population of 652, daily mails, telegraph and 
express communications, several churches and public schools, newspaper, bank, 
woolen mill, canning factory, foundry, planing rnill, tannery, harness shops, machine 
shops, and spoke, stave and handle factory. 

Buchanan, on the James, and the section of which it is the business center, 
has shown marked progress during the past year. A most important event in 
the history of the town has been the completion of a water works system, by 
which an ample supply of pure mountain spring water is brought into the town, 
sufficient (besides meeting the needs of the town) to supply power to small indus- 
tries. 

The establishment of an excellent high school, with an able corps of teachers, 
is also a recent event of importance, and the large increase in the business of the 
bank at this place may be taken as a fair index of the business conditions of the 
town and community. 



BRUNSWICK COUNTY. 

This county, bordering on North Carolina, and about fifty miles southwest of 
Richmond, is one of the leading agricultural counties in Virginia. It was Bruns- 
wick which took the first prize at the Jamestown Exposition for having the best 
county agricultural exhibit, and it was of this county that the present Governor 
of Virginia said, "that it produces a greater variety of crops than any other in 
the State." 

The reasons that Brunswick stands foremost among her sister counties are 
numerous: Lands naturally rich, respond to improvements with wonderful celerity: 
the climate is ideal for agricultural purposes, the winters being cool and pleasant 
and the summers warm enough to mature crops, but not too hot to be uncomfort- 
able, and lithia water abounds on every farm. All of these and other natural 
advantages, have attracted a population without equal for industry, thrift, moral- 
ity and other qualities, which make the best, happiest and most independent 
rural life. Thus, with such citizenship, churches and schools have been erected 
within close reach of all, and every Sunday the word of God can be heard with 
no inconvenience, and the children can attend the public schools without trouble. 
The lands are rolling, and a healthier community cannot be found anywhere. 

Three railroads cross the county, and place the farmers in close and imme- 
diate touch with the leading markets of the world. 

Lawrenceville, the county seat, is located in the center of the county, and has 
a population of 2,500, and with its splendid stores, excellent banking facilities 
and market advantages, adds materially to the comfort, convenience and pleasure 
of agricultural life in the county. 

The principal crops raised are dark and bright tobacco of the finest grades, 
cotton, peanuts, corn of unsurpassed quality, wheat, oats, alfalfa, and nearly 
every variety of grasses, fruits, vegetables of almost all kinds in delicious pro- 
fusion, and stock which fill the smoke houses and which would make dairying 
prosper, even as the "green bay tree." 

The principal timbers of the county are pine, oak, hickory, poplar, and other 
soft woods, and in no county do they thrive and grow more rapidly. On an open 
field, if uncultivated, pines spring up indigenously, and will become marketable 
timber within twenty years. A good deal of virgin forest still stands, and "second 
growth" can be purchased at reasonable prices. 



108 

The present prices of real estate are far below the intrinsic value, but are rapidly 
advancing. Some lands can be found for $10.00 an acre, but the average is 
about $20.00, and to show their relative worth, their assessed value is more than 
double that of those of the adjoining counties. 

The population is 19,244. 



BUCHANAN COUNTY. 

This county, formed in 1858 from Russell and Tazewell, and named in honor 
of President Buchanan, is located in Southwest Virginia, and is one of the extreme 
border counties of the State, 250 miles southwest of Richmond. Area, 492 square 
miles. Average size farms, 236 acres. Lands are low, but have a speculation 
interest on account of immense mineral deposits. 

Surface is rugged and mountainous. Comparatively little of the land is under 
cultivation, balance in timber. Soil is of a sandy nature, and fertile. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, tobacco, potatoes, buckwheat, 
hay and sorghum. Wheat is well adapted to this section, and is receiving special 
attention. Stock raising and dairying are also sources of some revenue. Fruits 
of all kinds, especially grapes, do well, but are only grown sufficiently for home 
consumption. 

The great importance attached to this county is its vast wealth of iron, coal 
and timber, which is attracting capital, and a large influx of population. Bi- 
tuminous coal of fine quality and large quantity, is found in veins from five to 
eleven feet in thickness. Timber of the usual kinds — but the most valuable of 
which are oak, poplar, ash and walnut — abound in large area, and superior qual- 
ity to any county in the State, perhaps, the getting out and rafting of which 
to Cincinnati and other points by the Big Sandy river, a branch of the Ohio, and 
its manufacture in the county by a number of extensive plants, afford employment 
to the largest number of people, and is a source of greatest revenue to the county 
and its inhabitants. 

Reference to the various lumber plants operating in this county will convey 
an idea of the extent of this valuable industry. 

The Yellow Poplar Lumber Company, of Grundy, have a tramroad extending 
twenty-five miles up the Slate creek, and with two locomotives bring out daily 
one hundred logs, which average forty-five cubic feet to the log. North of Grundy, 
on Knox creek, W. M. Ritter Lumber Company have two large band mills in ope- 
ration, which cut from 50,000 to 80,000 feet per day. They also have a tram- 
road with steel rail from O'Keefe, West Virginia, on Tug river, extending up 
Knox creek, upon which they operate six mountain locomotives. South of 
Grundy, T. Fugate & Company, Shaffer Brothers, and Pitzer & Lindsey do a 
very large lumber business; also Vensant, Kitchen & Company, on the Dismal 
creek, besides numerous smaller mills. 

Rivers are Louisa, Russell and New Garden, Forks of Big Sandy river. Large 
quantities of timber are rafted on Louisa river to Catlettsburg, Kentucky, Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio, and other points, and these streams also afford excellent water 
power, if utilized. Nearest railroad is the Clinch Valley branch of the Norfolk 
and Western railroad, in Tazewell county, near the border. 

Mineral waters are found to some extent, the most important of which are the 
Healing Springs. 

Educational advantages consist of the usual county free schools. 

As to churches, mail facilities, financial condition, progress, and general ad- 
vancement, the conditions of this county are fairly favorable, and rapidly im- 
proving. 

The climate, owing to elevation, is moist and cool. The weather station at 
Freeling (near by) reports the average temperature 52.4 degrees; rainfall 60.1. 

Total population of the county, census of 1910, is 12,334. 

Grundy, the county seat, situated near center of the county, has a population 
of 200, several churches, mills and factories, public school, a newspaper, etc. 
Its nearest railroad station is Richlands, on Clinch Valley railroad, distant about 
twenty-five miles. 



103 



BUCKINGHAM COUNTY. 

Buckingham county is located in the central part of the State, on south side 
of James river, about half way between Richmond and Lynchburg, and distant 
from each about fifty miles. It is thirty-five miles long and twenty-four miles 
wide; altitude, 550 feet. 

It was originally a portion of Albemarle county, from which it was detached 
and formed into a county in the year 1761, containing an area of 552 square miles. 

Surface is generally level, with large quantity of bottom land on the rivers, 
but rolling and hilly in some parts. 

Soil is a gray and black loam, with red clay subsoil, which produces abund- 
antly when brought to a high state of cultivation. There is a strip of black land 
from four to six miles wide extending across the western portion of the county, 




VIRGINIA CORN CROP FOR 1910 WAS $35,000,000 

which, under the old regime before the war, was in a high state of improvement 
and was considered the garden spot of Buckingham. 

Farm products are tobacco, corn, wheat, oats, hay, rye, buckwheat, etc. Tobac- 
co is the staple crop of the county, producing about five million pounds annually. 
This tpbacco is a dark shipping variety and is in good demand for English, Aus- 
trian and Italian markets. In some sections an acre of tobacco will bring to the 
planter $100, and the average may be placed at from $40 to $60 per acre. 

Wheat in the clay lands produces abundantly, yielding as much as thirty bush- 
els to the acre, the average yield being from ten to fifteen bushels per acre. 
Corn, oats and hay also do well under careful and systematic cultivation. 

Fruits and vegetables, such as apples, peaches, pears, plums, grapes, strawberries, 
melons, potatoes, garden vegetables, etc., are in abundance. 

Stock and grazing facilities are fairly good; small cattle and sheep do well. 

Timber lands embrace a large area of the usual varieties, such as oak, poplar, 
walnut, pine, hickory, chestnut, maple, etc., much of which is sawed and marketed, 
and large quantities converted into hoops, staves, shingles, and railroad ties. 



104 

This county is rich in minerals — copper, iron, gold, silver, slate, barytes, mica, 
limestone, soapstone and asbestos. Her minerals are practically undeveloped, 
and untold wealth locked up in her borders is waiting for capital to liberate 
and utilize them for the benefit of mankind. There are three distinct gold-bearing 
veins two to fifteen feet wide, which extend across the country in a northeast 
direction. Before the war these were worken extensively in a good many places, 
but owing to the crude methods of reducing ore and the process of removing the 
sulphur they were abandoned. Three companies have now acquired locations 
on these veins, and are making investigations, preparatory to work, which promise 
better results than ever before. 

A vein one-fourth to one-half mile wide of the finest roofing slate in the world 
crosses the county, and is worked extensively near Arvonia, in the northern 
part of the county. Nine companies with a capitalization of eight hundred thousand 
dollars, produce large quantities of slate, for which they find ready market. The 
Buckingham slate retains its color and hardness to an unusual degree, and has 
a national reputation. 

Water courses are James, Slate and Willis rivers, and numerous smaller streams, 
which afford splendid water power for all kinds of manufactories, especially the 
James, in its long sweep of fifty miles around the county. Manufactories are 
slate and timber factories, and tobacco industries, flouring mills, sawmills, bark 
mills and sumac. 

Mineral waters are sulphur, chalybeate, lithia and alum. 

Railroad transportation consists of a branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio, 
extending twenty-one miles through center of county, and the main line of the 
Chesapeake and Ohio, keeping close to the north side of the James river, for fifty 
miles. 

Telephone service very good all over the county. 

Market advantages are Lynchburg and Richmond, with Farmville as the nearest 
local market. 

Educational advantages are public schools and graded school at Big Island; 
churches and postoffices, numerous and convenient. Financial condition ex- 
cellent. Two banks afford excellent facilities for handling the finances of the 
county. Water pure, sweet and plentiful, and health unsurpassed. Nature has 
done much for Buckingham in all that tends to make a people prosperous and 
na PPJ> and she now offers to home-seekers many inducements, such as cheap 
lands, a favorable climate, genial and mild, a remunerative soil, good markets 
for the products of their labor, and many others that might be mentioned; but 
the most convincing proof of this assertion is to visit the county and see the farmers 
who have converted the old fields into good farms, which evidence their thrift 
and prosperity in the past few years. There is plenty of room here for the home 
seeker, and a welcome awaits him from her hospitable citizens. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, 15,204. 

Buckingham Courthouse (Maysville), the county seat, is a thriving village, 
situated near the center of the county, and reached by a branch of the Chesapeake 
and Ohio at New Canton. 

Arvonia is a growing town, owing to the slate mines at that place employing 
a large number of men, and a rapidly increasing output in that business. It con- 
tains a large graded school, several good churches, numerous residences, and others 
being erected. 



CAMPBELL COUNTY. 



This county, formed in 1781 from Bedford, and named for General William 
Campbell, a famous Revolutionary officer, is situated in the south central part of 
the State, five hours ride from Washington, six from Baltimore, and ten from 
New York; 145 miles by rail southwest from Richmond. 

It is nearly a square, twenty-five miles each way, and contains 554 square 
miles, seventy-five per cent, of which is cultivated. Price of lands, location, 



105 

and facilities of transportation considered, few sections of the State offer better 
inducements to home seekers. The surface is rolling and hilly; the soil, red clay 
in northern part, sandy in southern, and very fertile. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye and tobacco; the improved lands 
producing from fifteen to thirty bushels of wheat, and from fifty to seventy-five 
bushels of corn per acre; and the annual production of tobacco being from four 
to five million pounds, and of excellent quality. The grasses, such as red clover, 
orchard and timothy, grow well, and, with proper attention and management, 
produce abundant crops. This county is especially adapted to fruit of the various 
kinds, such as apples, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, melons, grapes, berries, 
etc.; and is specially noted for the flavor, size and quality of its peaches. Vege- 
tables and dairy products are considerable sources of revenue. Stock raising is 
profitably engaged in, but not to the extent that the favorable conditions would 
justify. The climate and soil are especially well adapted to the raising of sheep. 
Transportation facilities are unsurpassed; one trunk line — the Southern railway — 
extending north and south — two trunk fines — the Norfolk and Western, and the 
Chesapeake and Ohio — extending east and west; and the third, the Lynchburg 
and Durham, south. The Southern and the Lynchburg and Durham traverse 
the county its full length from north to south; and all its lines of railway have 
connection at Lynchburg, on the northern border, and combine to give the county 
superior market facilities in every direction. Lynchburg also affords an extensive 
and lucrative market for all farm products. 

Iron ore, manganese, and barytes, are the most important and valuable minerals; 
the last two being developed and worked to some extent. Iron, lithia and alum 
springs abound, the most important being the Bedford Alum, in this county, 
near the Bedford county line, which is a place of considerable resort. 

Timbers are pine, oak, poplar, walnut, hickory, locust, gum, ash, and cedar, 
of which pine and oak are the most abundant and valuable. 

The James and the Staunton rivers, on the north and the south, respectively, 
with their interior tributary streams, Otter, and Big and Little Falling rivers, 
furnish abundant drainage and water supply; indeed, no county in the State has 
a greater abundance of springs, branches, creeks, etc. 

Water power is abundant, and a large proportion of it is still undeveloped. 
Manufactories are a foundry, planing miU, tobacco-box factory, wooden mill, 
bark and sumac mills, and numerous grain mills and sawmills; but these are very 
insignificant in comparison with the county's splendid manufacturing advantages 
and possibilities, of water power, raw material, and transportation facilities to 
bring the cotton from the South, and coal and other ores from the Southwest, 
with an extensive outlet by rail to the markets in all directions. 

The climate is temperate, salubrious and healthful, and the water excellent 
and abundant. Churches, public schools, telephone service, and mail facilities 
are ample and convenient. 

Population, independent of the city of Lynchburg, census of 1910, 23,043. 

Ptustburg, the county seat, is situated near the center of the county, on the 
Lynchburg and Durham division of the Norfolk and Western railroad. It has 
graded streets, two public schools, three churches, one fraternal order, and a 
population of about 250. Value of real estate, $1,947,663; personalty, $1,417,790. 



CAROLINE COUNTY. 

This county, located in the northeastern part of the State, eighteen miles north 
of Richmond, was formed in 1727 from King and Queen, Essex, and King William. 
It is about twenty-eight miles long and twenty miles wide, and contains an area 
of 562 square miles. 

There is a large amount of bottom lands on the numerous rivers and creeks 
which are very productive. The proportion of land under cultivation is about 
fifty per cent. The surface is rolling, the soil light, easily cultivated, and readily 
improved. 



106 



Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, hay and tobacco; field 
peas, also, are produced in great abundance, both as a fertilizer and as a forage 
crop. Much the most profitable industry of the county, however, is tobacco 
raising, the annual production of which is about one million pounds, bringing, 
as estimated for last year, largely over a quarter of a million dollars. The grow- 
ing of fine manufacturing tobacco is a specialty, and in this respect it is not sur- 
passed by any other county in the State. Other products are vegetables, butter, 
fruits and dairying, all of which are produced in abundance; and, with the advan- 
tages of convenient and extensive markets, such as Richmond, Washington, 
Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York, they constitute valuable and important 
industries. Stock raising is assuming some proportions, and the quality of stock 
is being very much improved. Excelsior, for packing, is extensively and profit- 
ably manufactured. Other industries have been established within the last 
co uple of years — factory for making concrete blocks, several large lumber plants, 



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ggr v --. ■ .^^M 


m^. 







VIRGINIA HAY FIELD — 1\ TONS PER ACRE. 

a number of first-class water-power flour mills, and an excellent telephone system 
throughout the county. 

Timber is abundant, such as oak, hickory, walnut, pine, birch, etc., much of 
which is converted into lumber. 

Its railroad, the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac, extends through 
the county from north to south. 

This is one of the best watered counties in the State; its rivers are' the Rappa- 
hannock on the northern boundary, the North Anna on the southern, and the 
Mattapony and its tributaries in the central portion, affording much fine water 
power. 

Climate excellent; free from storms, cyclones, blizzards, etc., and very health- 
ful as the result of its numerous fine springs of pure, soft, drinking water. 

Population, census of 1910, 16,596. 

Bowling Green, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, three 
miles from Milford, the nearby station on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and 
Potomac railroad, from which point it has daily communication. It is a flourish- 
ing town of 458 inhabitants, several churches and public schools, academy, female 



107 

seminary, tobacco warehouse, and carriage and wagon factory. Other towns 
are Port Royal, with a population of 193, and Ruther Glen, a small place, but 
busy railroad village. 



CARROLL COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1842 from the eastern part of Grayson, and was 
named in honor of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton. It is situated on the southern 
border of the State, 183 miles southwest- from Richmond. It touches the North 
Carolina line. 

Carroll contains a population, census of 1910, of 21,116. 

It has an area of 445 square miles. Surface is broken and mountainous, with 
fertile and productive valleys, the largest area of desirable lands lying in the 
southern half of the county. It is bordered by the Alleghany and the Rocky 
mountains, and these mountain ranges are especially adapted to the pasturage 
of stock, large numbers of which are raised, cattle raising, especially, being one 
of the leading industries of the county. 

The lands readily produce wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, and the 
grasses. Some tobacco is also grown, but the county is especially noted for the 
production of rye and buckwheat, ranking among the first of the counties of the 
State for the production of these grains. Fruits are grown to great perfection, 
especially apples and grapes. Portions of the county are noted for the growth 
of the cranberry. 

A large proportion of the county is still in timber of original growth, especially 
on the southern side, with good bodies of white pine in the northwestern section. 
The most important and valuable species are oak, pine, ash, cherry, walnut, poplar, 
and chestnut, of which a large amount is annually manufactured into lumber 
for export. Sawmills are numerous. 

This county is very rich in minerals, the principal of which are copper and iron, 
the latter being extensively mined. Mica and asbestos are also known to exist, 
but are not developed. The copper is on the same formation upon which the 
celebrated copper mines of Ducktown, Tennessee, are situated. The valuable 
deposit has been comparatively unknown; but Carroll is ultimately to become 
one of the great copper counties of the southwest, and of the State. The con- 
struction of the Mt. Rogers and Eastern railway, which is contemplated, will 
bring about the development of some fine mineral properties, as its route lies 
diagonally along the mineral belt through the county. There are already develop- 
ments being made in the section northwest of Hillsville. That Carroll, with 
adequate means of transportation, will develop mines of great value, which will 
form the basis of industries of large and important dimensions, there can be no 
doubt. 

The mineral waters of this county have long been known throughout this section 
for their curative properties; notably the old Grayson Sulphur Springs, situated 
twenty miles south of Wytheville, on the banks of New river, with its wild and 
romantic river and mountain scenery, rendering it a veiy attractive and pleasant 
resort. Its four springs — one a white sulphur, one a red, and the other two chaly- 
beate : — have their openings within an area of thirty feet in diameter, and their 
temperature of 47 degrees and 48 degrees, besides furnishing a cool and refresh- 
ing draught, in so low that they retain their gaseous contents in a state of com- 
bination for a long while. 

In other sections of the county the scenery is grand and picturesque; especially 
along the rivers with their wild romantic dells, cascades and waterfalls. The 
health of the county is good, the water pure, soft and abundant. Every section 
of the county is well supplied with water by its numerous streams. New river, 
Big and Little Reed Island creeks, Chestnut, Poplar, Camp and Crooked creeks, 
which would afford water power sufficient, if utilized, to answer an almost unlimited 
demand. 

Hillsville, the county seat, with a population of about 300, is situated near the 



109 

center of the county, in the basin of the Blue Ridge mountains on Little Reed 
Island creek, a tributary of New river. It is about ten miles south of Betty 
Baker depot, which is its nearest point on the Little Reed Island branch of the 
Norfolk and Western railroad. It contains, besides the courthouse, churches, 
hotels, stores, schools, newspapers, bank, shops, foundry, etc. Considerable 
business activity prevails here since the completion of the railroad to that section 
of busy mining operations, an increase of fifteen to twenty per cent, in the volume 
of trade being reported. 



CHARLES CITY COUNTY. 

This county constituted one of the original shires into which the State was 
divided in 1634. It is located in the east central part of the State, twelve miles 
southeast of Richmond, on the peninsula formed by the James and the Chicka- 
hominy rivers. 

It is thirty miles long, with a mean width of about eight miles, and has an area 
of 183 square miles. The surface is mostly level, or gently undulating. The soil 
is varied — alluvium and gray loam predominating — and is for the most part 
productive, especially on the rivers, where the quality is superior. These river 
lands constitute a large proportion of the area of the county, and upon them are 
found many fine old Colonial estates and residences. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, peanuts and hay, the yields 
of cereals being above the average for the State. Fruits and vegetables to which 
the climate and soil are especially adapted, succeed admirably. Poultry and 
dairying are also profitable and growing industries. No section of the county 
is better adapted to a profitable trucking business, especially on the fine river 
lands, with their superior market advantages by rail and water. Stock and graz- 
ing facilities are very good, with an abundance of water and native grasses, and 
soil well adapted to the pasturage of stock. 

The fish industry is a very important and profitable one in the county; all the 
streams abound in fish of the most valuable species, such as shad, herring, sturgeon, 
alewives, etc. 

Marl of superior quality, and in large quantity, is found, and only awaits capital 
and development to become an important factor in the business of the county. 

With only about fifty per cent, of the lands under cultivation, there remains 
an extensive area in timber. Original growth has been pretty generally cut off, 
but the second growth of pine, oak, hickory, etc., rapidly replaces it. 

Rivers are the James and the Chickahominy, with their numerous tributaries, 
which afford considerable water power, not as yet utilized. The transportation 
advantages afforded by these streams are of great profit and convenience, especially 
the James river, upon which there are daily boats from Richmond, and tri-weekly 
from Petersburg to Norfolk. 

Railroad transportations consist of the Chesapeake and Ohio, which runs through 
the upper portion, bordering the county for eighteen or twenty miles. The 
Richmond and Newport News Telephone Co. has a line near the Chesapeake and 
Ohio railroad, seven miles from Charles City Courthouse. There is also a county 
telephone company that has built and is now operating a line the length of the 
county, extending into Henrico county towards Richmond, also running to Rox- 
bury station, and connecting there with long-distance line. Public schools and 
roads are being fostered and built, and all public enterprises and improvements 
are being encouraged and pushed. 

Manufactories consist of shingle mills, on the Chickahominy, grist, flour and 
saw mills, in several localities, and large brickyards, on James river. 

The climate is much modified by the surrounding water, and is temperate 
and pleasant, and with an abundance of pure freestone water. Health compares 
favorably with that of any other section. Churches and public schools are numer- 
ous, mail facilities good, and financial condition excellent, while the soil responds 
quickly to improvement, and retain fertility. Situated between the Chickahominy 



110 

and the James, and convenient to the great industrial centers of the Common- 
wealth — Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News — the county is brought in close 
touch with the outside world. 

With all of these varied attractions, home seekers and investors will find here 
an inviting field, and a hearty welcome from its hospitable people. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, 5,253. 

The county seat, Charles City Courthouse, is located near the center of the county, 
and has a population of about one hundred. 



CHARLOTTE COUNTY. 

Charlotte county, formed in 1764 from Lunenburg county, is located in central 
Southern Virginia, sixty-six miles southwest of Richmond. 

It contains an area of 479 square miles. The surface is generally rolling; soil 
varying from loam to clay, and capable of high improvement; bottom and valley 
lands very productive. 

Farm products are tobacco, wheat, corn, rye, oats, hay, peas, etc. It is espe- 
cially the home of fine high-priced shipping tobacco, and is justly considered one 
of the finest tobacco growing counties in the State, yielding annually more than 
four million pounds. Vegetables and fruits of all kinds, such as apples, peaches, 
pears, cherries, grapes, melons, etc., are grown in abundance. Stock raising is 
also an important industry, to which the lands are well adapted. Wild fruits and 
nuts are abundant, the latter frequently almost sufficient for the fall fattening 
of hogs. 

Timber abounds in large quantities; more than one-half of the surface is covered 
with forest, much of which is second growth, but there are still much of the native 
timbers, such as oak, poplar, hickory, walnut, ash, etc. The manufacture of 
lumber is one of the profitable industries of the county. 

The minerals consist of iron, copper, mica, kaolin, soapstone, etc., the most 
important of which, perhaps, is iron, which has been found in veins eight to six- 
teen feet in width; but as yet the mineral wealth of the county is comparatively 
undeveloped, with the exception of copper, which is being mined now. 

Mineral waters are lithia, sulphur, calcium, magnesia, etc. 

Water courses are the Staunton river and other smaller streams, the former 
of which is navigable by bateaux and small steamers. Manufactories are confined 
chiefly to flouring and sawmills. 

Railroad facilities are admirable, the Norfolk and Western on the north, the 
Lynchburg and Durham on the west, the Richmond and Danville through the 
center, a branch line from Keysville into North Carolina, and the Virginian through 
the centre county, now built. 

Educational advantages are good, with a sufficient number of public and private 
schools. Financial condition of the county is very favorable. The public debt 
is small; county four per cent, bonds sell at par. In progress and general devel- 
opment, there is evident improvement in this county. The climate is mild and 
healthful; the water pure, with springs abundant. Churches and mail facilities 
numerous and convenient. 

Population, census of 1910, 15,785. 

This county has such natural advantages of climate, soil and locality, that 
with energy and enterprise, its immediate future is bright and promising, and at 
the present price of lands, which are advancing, no section offers a better oppor- 
tunity for investment. 

It has the distinction of having been the home of two of Virginia's most dis- 
tinguished sons — John Randolph and Patrick Henry. 

On account of its peculiar fitness for the purpose, it has recently been chosen 
as the location of the State test farm, situated at Saxe, on the Richmond and 
Danville railroad division of the Southern railway. 

Charlotte Courthouse, the county seat, is situated in the central part of the 
county, on Ward's Ford creek, a tributary of Staunton river, five miles noith- 



Ill 

west of Drake's Branch, on the Southern railway, with which it has daily stage 
communication by a fine macadam road. It contains several churches and schools, 
a newspaper, and a population, of 400. 

Keysville, at the junction of^the main line and a branch of the Southern rail- 
way, is a thriving town of 500 population. It has a good bank, and is the center 
of a large tobacco growing section of the State. 

Drake's Branch, is located on the Southern railway, five miles southeast from 
the county seat, is one of the largest tobacco markets in the State, and ships at 
least seven million pounds of tobacco annually. It is a flourishing town of 700 
inhabitants, and has sixteen mercantile establishments, three tobacco sales ware- 
houses, and six prizeries, where tobacco is prepared for foreign markets, a bank 
and three hotels. 



CHESTERFIELD COUNTY. 

This county was established in 1748, from that part of Henrico which was then 
on the south of James river, and is a long and narrow peninsula between the 
James and the Appomattox rivers. It is twenty-eight miles long and eighteen 
miles wide, and is nearly divided into three equal parts, one between James river 
and Falling creek, the next between Falling and Swift creeks, and the last be- 
tween Swift creek and Appomattox river, and extends to Richmond, on the north, 
to Petersburg on the south, with an area of 484 square miles. 

The most valuable lands are found on James river; such as the historic farms 
of Drewry's Bluff, Presque Island and Bermuda Hundred, with many others 
just as productive; also, some fine farms on the large creeks. These lands are the 
equal of any in Eastern Virginia, if not any in the State, producing fifty bush- 
els of corn per acre, and other grains in proportion, the uplands of the county 
about half so much. 

The surface and soil are varied, and mostly tillable. The river and creek bot- 
toms are level, alluvial, fertile and under cultivation. The uplands are rolling 
and less fertile, of a gray and sandy nature, and clay subsoil. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, tobacco, peanuts and hay. 

Hay is grown in larger quantities than heretofore, especially on the bottom lands, 
and tobacco is raised to great success on the uplands. The farming interests of 
this county are rapidly undergoing a change for the better through the advent 
of northern and western settlers, who are turning their attention to the production 
of butter and milk, grapes, berries, small fruits and vegetables for the nearby 
markets of Richmond, Manchester, and Petersburg, and for the northern mar- 
kets by steamers on James river. Chesterfield in former Virginia expositions 
received the first premium for county agricultural products, and the second for 
timber, wood and mineral. 

This county is peculiarly adapted to the growth of fruits, beautiful vineyards 
and orchards being established; and on Buckingham ridge, two miles north of 
Midlothian, are well known and successful nurseries, all of which are bringing 
to their owners handsome returns. Trucking is an important branch of industry. 

Principal minerals are coal, ochre, fire-brick clay, Venetian red, marl, and gran- 
ite. This county is celebrated for its inexhaustible mines of coal, which have 
been worked for a long period, and constitute its chief source of wealth; the most 
important of which are Midlothian, Clover Hill, Black Heath, and Winterpock. 
The last-named is now in fuU operation. The coal fields run entirely across the 
county, with an average width of six to eight miles, and geologists have expressed 
the opinion that the supply of coal is practically inexhaustible. There are thought 
to be thousands of acres of undeveloped coal lands still in the county. Ochre is 
successfully worked in the county, giving employment to a number of hands. 
On Appomattox river is operated the largest ochre mine in this country; two- 
thirds of the yellow ochre and the Venetian red consumed in the United States 
come from these mines. On many of the farms bordering the James and the 
Appomattox rivers immense beds of rich marl are to be found. Granite of differ- 



112 

ent varieties is extensively quarried in this county, the supply of which is in- 
exhaustible, and the quality unsurpassed, as is shown by its having been adopted 
in the building of the City Hall of Richmond and the Army and Navy buildings 
in Washington. The seam of granite which marks the limit of tidewater, divides 
the county into two parts, the eastern and smaller section being in Tidewater 
Virginia. 

The industries and enterprises of Chesterfield are: at Robious Station, two 
and a half miles above Bon Air, two large fire brick works; at Hallsboro, eighteen 
miles west of Richmond, there is located a large steam tannery and sumac mills; 
at Matoaca, four miles north of Petersburg, a town of several hundred inhabi- 
tants, is located cotton factories, which are in successful operation. At Ettrick, 
on the opposite side of the river from Petersburg, are several large factories, 
notably a silk factory, employing several hundred operatives. Also ajyery im- 




CORN GROWN IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY BY JAS. BELLWOOD. ONE ACRE OF THIS FIELD 
YIELDED 160 BUSHELS. THE FIELD AVERAGE WAS 130 BUSHELS 

portant Chesterfield enterprise and industry, and one that is rapidly growing 
is that of the Arsenic and Lithia Springs Company. 

Timber is abundant, embracing about fifty per cent, of the area of the county, 
large quantities of which are annually manufactured into lumber and exported; 
for which there are most excellent facilities by rail and river. The interior of 
the county abounds in forest of original and second growth timber, such as pine, 
oak, poplar, cedar, hickory, ash, chestnut, beech, walnut, willow, mulberry, gum, 
holly, and persimmon; and along Appomattox river extending to City Point 
are also large forests of more valuable timber. 

The county is well watered, irrigated and drained by the James and Appomat- 
tox rivers and numerous small streams, which flow through the county. Game 
and fish of all kinds are abundant. 

Railroads are the Richmond and Danville division of the Southern railway, 
the Seaboard Air Line, and the Atlantic Coast Line, the Farmville and Powhatan, 
and the Norfolk and Western, traversing every portion of the county, north, 
south, east and west. 



113 

The county roads are fairly good. Two turnpikes penetrate the county, the 
Buckingham turnpike and the Richmond and Petersburg turnpike. 

There are many places of interest and importance in the county, to which 
allusion should be made. One of the ancient landmarks is Salisbury, the former 
residence of Patrick Henry; another, Matoaca, the scene of John Randolph's 
early years; and still another, Warwick, which, prior to the Revolution, was 
larger than Richmond, and one of the principal shipping points on James river. 

Of the important shipping and manufacturing points, Skinquarter, on the 
Farmville and Powhatan railroad, is a thrifty village, at which large quantities 
of pine and oak lumber are shipped; Bermuda Hundred, the terminus of the 
Farmville and Powhatan railroad, is one of the best deepwater harbors in the 
State, accommodating the largest vessels; while at Swansboro, adjoining Man- 
chester City, are located extensive car-axle works, furniture factories, etc. Clover 
Hill, Ettrick and Matoaca are also villages of some manufacturing importance. 

At Chester, midway between Richmond and Petersburg, and itself the junction 
of the Seaboard Air Line, the Atlantic Coast Line, and the Farmville and Pow- 
hatan railroads, is a fine deposit of clay, operated by a large company; also, a 
large lumber company has been formed here for dressing and shipping lumber; 
and a large storage and machinery house. The Richmond and Petersburg Elec- 
tric railroad has been completed through this village, which unites by electricity 
the cities of Richmond, Manchester and Petersburg. It is the center of numerous 
railroad lines and systems, and is also a pleasant, healthful summer resort. 

Bon Air and Dry Bridge Depot, on the Richmond and Danville railroad, are 
the homes in summer of a large number of Richmond's best citizens. There 
are few places at which there are more of the beauties of nature than at Forest 
Hill Park, recently opened. 

The public school system is in a flourshing condition, having over eighty public 
schools, and no section of the county is destitute in this respect. There are also 
a number of high-grade schools. The male academies at Bon Air and Chester 
are in a nourishing condition, and the same may be said of the female institutes 
at Chester and Skinquarter. The Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, 
founded in 1882, for the higher education of the colored youth of the State, is 
also situated in Chesterfield, near Petersburg, and is doing a good work. It re- 
ceives a liberal annual appropriation from the State. 

Churches and postoffices are numerous and conveniently distributed. The 
climate of Chesterfield is salubrious and healthful; the character and morals of 
the people of a high order. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, 21,299. 

Chesterfield, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, but the 
principal town of the county is Manchester, a city of considerable importance, 
situated on the south side of James river, immediately opposite Richmond, on 
ground gently rolling, rising from the river, which gives it a very picturesque 
appearance as reviewed from the Richmond side, with which it is connected 
by electric railway. (See Virginia cities). 



CLARKE COUNTY. 

Clarke was formed in 1836 from Frederick, and named in honor of General 
George Rogers Clarke, who distinguished himself in the Indian and the Revolu- 
tionary wars. 

It lies in the center of the Shenandoah valley, in almost the extreme northern 
part of the State, 106 miles northwest of Richmond, and bordering on the Mary- 
land line. 

The surface of the central portion of the county, and west of the Shenandoah 
river, is undulating, the soil limestone, and unsurpassed for fertility and pro- 
ductiveness. The land east of the Shenandoah river is mountainous, and valuable 
for its abundance of timbers, such as pine, oak, chestnut, hickory, poplar, cedar, 
and locust, large quantities of which are annually converted into timber for export. 



114 

Portions of this mountain section produce excellent blue grass when cleared, 
affording fine pasturage for sheep and cattle. 

Altogether it may truly be said that, in proportion to its size, this is one of the 
richest counties in the State. The county is rather below the average in size, 
being about seventeen miles long and ten miles wide, with an area of 189 miles. 
Farms are well improved with buildings and fencing, and are in a thorough state 
of cultivation. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, hay, etc. Special attention 
is given to the wheat crop, the lands being among the finest in the State for the 
production of this grain. All fruits of this latitude are grown to great perfection, 
and large quantities of apples and peaches are annually shipped to the nearby 
markets. 

This being a native blue grass section, the raising of cattle is very extensively 




VIRGINIA BREEDS THE BEST DRIVING AND SADDLE HORSES. 

engaged in, the cities of Washington, Baltimore and New York affording con- 
venient markets for their sale. 

Limestone, for building purposes, exists in large quantities. 

The Shenandoah river winds its course along the base of the Blue Ridge, and, 
with its several tributaries — Chapel, Opequon and Birch creeks— plentifully 
waters the county. 

The Shenandoah Valley branch of the Norfolk and Western railroad, extend- 
ing from Hagerstown, Maryland, to Roanoke, Virginia, passes through the central 
part of the county from north to south. The Valley branch of the Baltimore 
and Ohio railroad extends through the northwest part, thus bringing the county 
into communication with all the different sections of the country. 

Everything conspires to make this a very highly favored section of the State, 
with its intelligent enterprising population, its healthful climate, fine water, 
numerous public schools, and churches of the various denominations. 

Total population of county, census of 1910, 7,468. 

Berry ville, the county seat, is a thriving, growing town of 1,000 inhabitants. 



115 

It is located on the Shenandoah Valley railroad, a little north of the center of 
the county. It has a newspaper, banks, public high school and eight churches; 
also an ice plant, flouring mill, grain elevators, creamery and a large number of 
mercantile and manufacturing establishments, and streets well graded and 
paved. Since the completion of the railroad, Berryville has experienced great 
activity in business, having become one of the most important stations on the 
road. Surrounded by a rich and fertile country, with four macadamized roads 
centering in the town, it thus receives nearly all the staples of the country, and 
at the same time, has fine roads for drives in every direction. 

Other villages of the county are Boyce, Gaylord, Wickliffe, Millwood and White 
Post. 



CRAIG COUNTY. 

Craig county was formed in 1850 from Botetourt, Roanoke, Giles and Monroe, 
and borders on the State of West Virginia, from which it is separated by the 
Alleghany mountains. It is located in Southwest Virginia, 145 miles west 
of Richmond. Though the smallest of the southwestern counties, it is by no 
means the least important, containing an area of 351 square miles. Lands are 
fertile and well kept, varying from light sandy to clay, of limestone formation, 
and peculiarly adapted to the growth of rich grasses. Accordingly we find here 
a pastoral people, who have, for a number of years, made the raising of live stock 
the principal industry of the county, annually shipping to the eastern markets 
a large number of fine horses, cattle and sheep, many of the cattle beirg high- 
grade short-horns. The surface of the county is to a considerable extent rugged 
and rrountainous, but there are some very fertile valleys that challenge comparison 
with the best sections of the State, notably, Sinkirg Creek valley, which is twenty 
miles long and about four miles wide, of limestcne formation, covered with a 
rich blue grass sward, and is one of the finest stock-raising sections of the State, 
shipping its cattle for the export market direct from grass. The staple agricul- 
tural products, such as wheat, corn, oats, etc., are also successfully grown, and 
considerable attention is paid to the raising of poultry, especially turkeys, of 
which large numbers are annually shipped from the county. All the fruits and 
vegetables common to this latitude are grown with the best results. 

Minerals consist mainly of iron, manganese and slate. Indications of silver 
have been found, and fine pottery and brick clays are abundant. The Manganese 
Iron and Coal Company own 20,000 acres of land lying in Craig and Montgomery 
counties, extending from Craig City along the slope of Craig mountain for a distance 
of twenty-five miles, along the Johns Creek mountain a distance of about seventeen 
miles. It thus embraces the oi tcroppings of all these great ore-bearing formations 
for a distance of about forty miles. The various ores yield from forty to sixty 
per cent, of metallic iron, the average being fully fifty per cent, lower in phos- 
phorus and containing no injurious substances. The supply of manganese is in- 
exhaustible and of excellent quality. 

The mineral resources of this region were known more than a century ago, and 
many years ago furnaces of the most primitive character existed. Considerable 
business is being done in the shipment of ores by rail, to distant, as well as nearby 
furnaces. 

The timber of this section is noted for its fine quality, large portions of the 
county being covered with original forests of oak, hickory, ash, poplar, pine, 
maple, walnut, sycamore, wild cherry, beech, etc. Numerous sawmills are in 
operation. 

Its railroads are the Craig Valley branch of the Chesapeake and Ohio, entering 
New Castle, and a branch of the N. & W. from Big Stoney, tapping the iron ore 
and timber of Potts Valley at Paint Bank. A branch twenty miles long from 
the C. & O. at Covington also has its terminus near Paint Bank, where unexampled 
activity in iron ore and timber development is now taking place. The streams 
are Potts, Johns, Sinking and Craig creeks, and their tributaries. 

Total population, census of 1910, 4,711. 



116 

The inhabitants are prosperous, thrifty and law-abiding. Educational ad- 
vantages are much improved, receiving more than ordinary attention. Several 
religious denominations are represented, and churches numerous and convenient. 

New Castle is the county seat, and most important town in the county. It is 
located on the Craig Valley branch of the C. & O. K. R. at the confluence of Craig 
and Johns creeks at the foot of North mountain. Population of 300, an increase 
of eighty-five since last census. Daily mail by rail, and also to Salem on the 
N. & W. R. R., twenty-three miles distant. It has a newspaper, bank, public 
school, academic school, and four churches. Iron mining could be conducted 
here with profit, also manufactures, which will be heartily welcomed and promoted 
by its citizens. 



CULPEPER COUNTY. 

Culpeper was formed in 1748 from Orange, and named in honor of Lord Culpeper, 
Governor of the Colony for three years, from 1680. It is separated from Fauquier 
by the Rappahannock river, and is one of the northern counties of the Piedmont 
region, though not wholly of that region, the lower portion running down into 
Middle Virginia; hence its surface is less rugged than that of some of the other 
Piedmont counties, and by the U. S. Reports it is in point of health second only 
to Asheville, in the whole country. It is 102 miles northwest of Richmond. Alti- 
tude 403 feet. 

Surface gennerally rolling, but several detached mountains or spurs, in portions 
of the county, give it a very picturesque and attractive appearance. Soil is red 
clay, chocolate, and sometimes sandy, producing fine crops of wheat, rye, corn, 
oats and hay. Culpeper raises annually about 500,000 bushels of Indian corn, 
and has had the reputation of producing the largest quantity of broom corn of any 
county in the State. It has also one of the best and most general telephone systems 
in the State. Fruits of all kinds, especially apples, succeed well along the mountain 
slopes. Much attention is paid to stock raising, and the breeds of cattle, horses 
and hogs have been greatly improved since the war by the introduction of much 
thoroughbred stock, which has gained for the county an enviable reputation for 
the superior quahty of her live stock. 

The farm lands of this section have attracted considerable attention during 
the past few years, and several farmers from the north have recently purchased 
and moved to this locality, the increase of population showing an advance move- 
ment in this respect. 

Population, census of 1910, 13,472; area, 399 square miles; average price of 
improved farm lands, $18.00 per acre; average assessed value of lands, $10.00 
per acre. 

About one-third of the county is in original timber, oa v and pine, oak predomi- 
nating. Although this county was the camping ground of both armies for much 
of the Civil War, and therefore denuded of much of its timber, the destruction 
in this respect is scarcely visible at this time, so rapid has been the second growth. 
The timbers are being utilized in the manufacture of chairs, barrel staves, spokes, 
spools, and railroad ties, plow beams, etc. There are also numerous grain and 
saw mills, and several tanneries. 

The minerals of this county are gold (heavy quartz), copper, iron, mica, marble 
and fire clay, but they have been but slightly developed. The gold mines have 
been favorably reported on by distinguished mineralogists and mineral experts, 
and some have been developed and worked. 

The water courses of the county are the Rappahannock, Rapidan, and Hazel 
rivers and their tributaries, which afford abundant water for agricultural purposes 
and fine water power. 

The Southern railroad traverses the county from northeast to southwest, 
furnishing most excellent transportation facilities. There is also a good turnpike 
extending from the county seat to Sperryville, Rappahannock county. The 
character of the public roads is fair, with a disposition to improvement, some 
ten or fifteen miles of macadam having been recently built. 



117 

Public schools and churches are numerous and convenient. Culpeper, the 
count}* seat, is located near the center of the county, on the Virginia Midland 
division of the Southern railway, and has a population, census of 1900, of 1,618, 
now 2,000. It has a good trade with the surrounding country, and is one of the 
most thrifty and enterprising towns in the State. Besides other attractions, there 
are three newspapers, three banks, public schools, five churches, foundry, flouring 
mill, and water works. The past year has been active in the development of 
new enterprises and improvements, such as a very efficient sub-sewerage system, 
metalling and macadamizing the streets, a bakeiy, barrel factoiy, machine shop, 
two livery and feed stables, numerous fine rental dwellings and handsome resi- 
dential houses, also a splendid new Masonic temple. The town has a splendid 
water system, and is lighted by electricity. A large ice plant is one of the latest 
acquisitions. 



CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 

This county, formed from Goochland in 1748, lies on the south side of James 
river and extends to Appamattox river. It is thirty-eight miles west of Richmond. 
Dimensions, thirty miles long, and about ten miles wide. Area, 297 square miles. 
Price of land very reasonable, but can be made to pay well. Lands he well for 
farming, and yield well, especially those on the rivers, which are veiy fertile. 
Surface, to a considerable extent, level, the balance is undulating. Soil, gray 
loam, with red clay subsoil, capable of being made very productive. 

Farm products are tobacco, wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat, cotton, and 
sorghum; clover also grows well, but the most important and profitable industry 
is tobacco growing. Fruits and vegetables of the usual varieties are successfully 
produced, such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots, plums, tomatoes, sweet and 
Irish potatoes, cabbage, etc. 

Grazing facilities are fairly good, but probably the most profitable industry 
in that fine is sheep husbandly, which is being very successfully followed. There 
is still much of the original growth of timber in the county, such as oak of various 
kinds, hickory, walnut, pine, poplar, ash, etc. 

Minerals are found to some extent, the principal of which is coal. Fine mineral 
springs have recently been discovered, from which, within a few feet of each 
other, flow lithia, sulphur, chalybeate, and magnesia water. Rivers are the James, 
Appomattox and Willis rivers, which afford abundant water power and fish in 
many varieties. 

Railroads are the Chesapeake and Ohio on the northern, and Norfolk and 
Western on the southern borders, with the Farmville and Powhatan railroad run- 
ning through county, a distance of thirty miles from Powhatan county fine on the 
northeast, to Farmville on the southeast. 

Manufactories and industries are tobacco, tanbark, fertilizer, sassafras oil, 
flouring and saw mills. Farmville, in Prince Edward county, a thriving town of 
about 3,000 inhabitants, is the principal market for the products of the county. 
Church, school and mail facilities are very good and convenient, with numerous 
free schools, several graded schools, and daily mail to all parts of county, and 
telephone service in southern portion. 

Total population of county, census of 1910, 9,195. 

Considerable progress is shown in the improvement of the lands and public 
roads of the county, and in financial conditions, which are very favorable; and 
with a climate mild and healthful, water good and abundant, and lands capable 
of high state of improvement at small cost, and adapted to almost all the fruits 
and staple crops grown in the State, there is much to invite the home seeker and 
others seeking investment. 

Cumberland, the county seat, located about the center of the county, on the 
Farmville and Powhatan railroad, has shown considerable improvement in the 
past two or three years, in the establishment of a tobacco warehouse and stem- 
mery, both of which are to be enlarged and others built. 



119 

Cartersville, on James river, is a thriving town of about 200 inhabitants, at which 
much of the tobacco of the county is bought, and is a principal shipping point 
for its products. 

Several smart villages have recently sprung into importance, while with new 
settlers coming in and old ones improving their farms, much improvement is 
observable, and the general outlook for the county is very promising. Its altitude 
is 474 feet. 



DICKENSON COUNTY. 

Dickenson was formed in the year 1880 from the counties of Wise, Buchanan 
and Russell, and named in honor of William J. Dickenson. It is situated in the 
extreme western section of the State. Its altitude is 1,800 feet. 

The cilmate is healthful and invigorating, the average temperature being 52.4 
degrees F., rainfall, 60.1. The soil varies in texture, but is principally sandy. 

The county contains an area of 324 square miles, 313,597 acres. It has 700 
farms averaging in size 225 acres each. Lands range in price from $2.00 to $50.00 
per acre, the average price per acre of improved farm lands being $20.00. The 
average assessed value of land is $2.00 per acre. 

This is one of the best counties in the State for investors, as the prices of lands 
are comparatively low, and the resources of the county as yet undeveloped. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, rye, oats, millet, tobacco, potatoes, sorghum, 
and buckwheat; also vegetables and fruits are grown to a considerable extent. 
Stock and grazing facilities are fairly good, the wild range excellent in some 
sections. Being in the great grazing region of the southwest, a considerable por- 
tion of the county has, naturally, good grass lands. Timbers, of most valuable 
kind and superior quality, are found here in great abundance. A very large 
portion of the county, probably half of its area, is in original forest of oak, hickory, 
poplar, walnut, elm, ash, maple, wild cherry, cucumber, pine, and hemlock. There 
are numerous saw mills in the county, and much lumber is cut and hauled to various 
points on the Norfolk and Western railroad, and considerable logging done, the 
logs being floated down the waters of the Big Sandy river to Cincinnati and other 
points. There is an abundance, of coal and iron, besides many mineral springs 
of great medicinal value. The wealth of the county in fine bituminous, splint 
and camel coals, is unsurpassed by the same area anywhere, but is as yet com- 
paratively unworked. The streams of the county are Pound, Cranes Nest, and 
Russell Fork rivers, and McClure's creek, which flows north, through breaks of 
the Cumberland mountains, into the Ohio. These streams afford splendid water 
power, but it has not been utilized. In many places on these streams, the scenery 
is very imposing, especially that on Russell Fork river, the deep canyon at the 
breaks of the Cumberland mountains, in the northern end of the county. 

There is no railroad in the county, though several lines have been surveyed, 
and a road will be built in the near future — the Elkhorn Southern, from Elk- 
horn, Ky., to Dante. Va. 

The financial condition of the county is very satisfactory, with very little or 
no county debt. 

In church and mail facilities the conditions are favorable, and improving as 
the county is developed. Progress and general advancement has been very marked 
within the last few years, as is evidenced by the large increase in population. 

Population, census of 1910, 9,199. 

Clintwood, the county seat, is located in the western part of the county. The 
town was named Clintwood in honor of State Senator Clint Wood. It is the 
largest town in the county, and by census of 1900, has a population of 225. It 
is located in a very beautiful, fertile valley, with fine mineral springs in and around 
the town, and, besides the courthouse building, contains several churches, hotels, 
boarding-houses, schools, newspapers, etc. The courthouse building is one of 
the best in Southwest Virginia. Coeburn, in Wise county, twenty miles distant, 
on the Norfolk and Western railroad, is the nearest railroad station, and with 



120 

this town it has telephone connection. It can also be reached from Cleveland 
station on the same road. 

There will be a macadamized road built from Clintwood to the Wise county 
line during the year 1910, a distance of fourteen miles. Wise county will con- 
struct a road from Wise Courthouse to intersect, which will give easy access by 
private conveyance to the county seat of Dickenson county from the Norfolk 
and Western railway at Wise or Coeburn. 



DINWIDDIE COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Prince George in 1752, and named in honor of 
Robert Dinwiddie, lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1752 to 1758. 

It is situated of the head of tidewater, between the Appomattox and Nottoway 
rivers, twenty-two miles south of Richmond, and has an area of 521 square miles, 
one-third of which is cultivated. Its farms average 160 acres each. 

The surface is, in some parts, undaluting, but mostly level. The soil, light 
gray in the southern and eastern parts, red stiff clay loam in other portions, is 
very fertile, especially on the river courses, and in the vicinity of Petersburg. 

The principal farm products are tobacco, cotton and peanuts. The grains, 
rye, oats, wheat, and corn, are grown to some extent, especially the latter. Clover 
and other grasses do well, and yield good crops of hay when seeded on the creek 
and river bottoms, or on improved lands. Potatoes likewise, both sweet and Irish, 
melons, berries, and vegetables of all kinds, grow in abundance, and render truck- 
ing an exceedingly profitable industry to the farmers, especially in the eastern 
portion of the county and in the vicinity of Petersburg, where market and ship- 
ping facilities are so extensive and convenient. 

Transportation facilities are excellent, and are furnished by the Seaboard Air 
Line, the Atlantic Coast Line, and the Norfolk and Western railways; also water 
navigation by the Appomattox river above and below the city of Petersburg, 
extending to James river and to the sea. 

Mineral products are iron ore, marl, and granite, in abundance and of the finest 
quality. The timbers are pine, oak, poplar, walnut, hickory, ash, gum, and maple, 
the greater portion of which is second growth. Numerous sawmills are in opera- 
tion in the county. The Appomattox river, on the northern boundary and the 
Nottoway river, on the southern, with their numerous tributaries, furnish 
ample water supply and drainage, and are also well stocked with fish of the usual 
varieties. The climate is mild and healthful and the water plentiful and good. 

All sections of the county are well supplied with churches of the various denom- 
inations. The public schools are in a flourishing condition, with comfortable school 
buildings and competent teachers. 

The Central Lunatic Asylum, for colored patients exclusively, is located in 
this county near Petersburg. It was founded in Richmond in 1870, but subse- 
quently, in 1885, was removed to its present location. It is one of the largest 
asylums for colored lunatics in the United States. 

Mail facilities are ample, and the financial condition of the county very favorable. 

Dinwiddie, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, twelve 
miles southwest from Petersburg, on the Seaboard Air Line railway. It has 
several churches, a public school, and a fraternal order. 

Population, independent of Petersburg, census of 1910, 15,442. 



ELIZABETH CITY COUNTY. 

Elizabeth City county was one of the original shires into which Virginia was 
divided in 1634, and Queen Elizabeth is the derivation of the name. It is situated 
at the southeastern extremity of Virginia's great peninsula, on Chesaepake bay, 
and at the mouth of James river, bordering upon the historic Hampton Roads, 
sixty-five miles southeast from Richmond. 



121 

Its form is nearly a square of seven miles on a side. With the exception of 
Alexandria, it is the smallest county in the State, having an area of fifty square 
miles, one-half of which is in cultivation. Average assessed value, $70.00 per 
acre. The surface is level, and the soil varies from light and sandy to rich alluvial, 
much of it being highly fertile. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, hay and potatoes. Vegetables and fruits 
do well, especially the small fruits, berries, etc. Farming land has advanced fifty 
per cent. Poultry raising receive a great deal of attention and finds a very 
remunerative home market. Trucking is a very important undustry in the county; 
but perhaps the most profitable industry of the county is its fish, crab and oyster 
business. These abound in inexhaustible quantities, and of the finest quality, 
in the surrounding waters, and give profitable employment to a large number of 
the inhabitants. Wild fowl — geese, ducks, swans, etc. — are also found in large 
numbers on the streams. There is very little stock (other than that for dairy 
purposes) raised in the county. 

The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad and different fines of electric railways afford 
ample facilities of travel and transportation, and the county, being almost 
surrounded by navigable waters, is in daily communication, by steamers, with 
Richmond, Norfolk, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, 
affording excellent market advantages for its products. 

The interior water supply and drainage are furnished by Back river and Hamp- 
ton river. Manufactories consist of sawmills, iron foundry, and shoe, sash and 
blind, and oil factories. 

The climate is temperate, delightful and remarkably healthful. Churches 
of the various Protestant denominations and most excellent public schools are 
well distributed over the county. Telephone and free delivery mail facilities are 
ample, public roads good, and the financial condition of the county excellent. 

Population, census of 1910, 21,205. 

Hampton, which, in 1908, became a city of the second class, is the county seat 
and one of the most important cities of Tidewater. The census at that time 
showed a population of 6,750, exclusive of the National Soldiers' Home and the 
Hampton Normal and Agricultural School, which, if counted, would give a popula- 
tion of perhaps 12,500. Five banks, in flourishing condition, attest the wealth 
and progressiveness of this city. In 1909 bonds in the sum of $100,000.00 were 
sold during the panic for $106,780.00, which money is being used at this time 
(December, 1909) in additional permanent improvements in the way of sewers, 
paving, bridges, etc. The situation of this city, overlooking Hampton Roads, 
is beautiful and picturesque. It is connected with Richmond, eighty miles dis- 
tant, by railway and two regular steamship lines: with Norfolk, fifteen miles 
distant, by a number of steamship lines and three fast ferries. It is closely con- 
nected with Newport News, three and one-half miles distant, by street railway 
service. 

Hampton's transportation facilities are exceptionally good, having connection 
with two steamship lines to Washington, three to Baltimore, one to New York 
direct, and one by way of Cape Charles and rail, beside one to Boston. The city 
is also in ferry connection with Norfolk, connecting with all lines South, while it 
is located on the Chesapeake and Ohio railway, connecting with the West. 

Statistics compUed by a prominent physician indicate climatic conditions 
in the county as the very best to be found anywhere. The water supply is abund- 
ant. The public school system embraces high school, normal and agricultural 
schools, and well supervised graded schools. The streets of the city are paved 
with granolithic sidewalks. It has an excellent municipal government, replete 
in all of its departments. 

Located here is the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, for the educa- 
tion and training of negroes and Indians, with a capacity of about nine hundred 
students, and an efficient corps of teachers and professors. It was opened in 1868, 
and incorporated in 1870, being the first permanent school for freedom in the 
South. It is aided by both the State and National governments, but is dependent 
upon voluntary donations for the greater part of its support. 

Other institutions of learning, located here, are the Hampton Female College, 




gJLQ ON A VIRGINIA DAIRY FARM, 



123 

the Hampton High School, the Virginia State School for Colored Deaf and Blind 
Children, and the Syms-Eaton free school, all in successful operation; also, numbers 
of other handsome buildings, notably the Bank of Hampton building, constructed 
at a cost of about $100,000. 

Truck farming in the immediate vincinity is an important factor to that section. 

Hampton is one of America's most conspicuous cities from an historical point 
of view — conspicuous as being next to the oldest city in the United States, and as 
having a frontage on the greatest harbor known to the world, in which occurred 
(near by) the great battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac. 

Having been destroyed three times by fire, owing to the terrible vicissitudes of 
three America's most notable wars, Hampton has risen phoenix-like from the ashes 
of calamity, and by her thrift, energy and prosperity, proclaims that the end is 
not yet, in the history of the Old Game Cock Town" of Virginia's peninsula 
district. 

Phoebus is another imnortant town of the county. Several handsome buildings 
have recently been erected here, embracing residence and business houses, church, 
schoolhouses and hotels. The streets have recently been paved and present the 
apnearance of a city. 

Other points of great interest in the county are Old Point Comfort, Fortress 
Monroe, and the National Soldiers' Home. 

The former is situated at the junction of Chesapeake bay with Hampton Roads, 
and ihree miles from the town of Hampton, with which it has electric railway con- 
nection. It got its name from Captain Christopher Newport, who found it a safe 
haven during a severe storm — the "Old" being added to distinguish it from New 
Point Comfort, a few miles away. It is one of the most fashionable and popular 
resorts on the Atlantic coast, and is especially attractive for its fine bathing, 
boating and fishing. 

Near by is Fortress Monroe, commanding the apnroach to Hampton Roads, 
and at which is stationed the United States school of artillery. This is now 
the hrg^st artill a rv girrison in this country. 

The National Soldiers' Home for disabled volunteer soldiers, is located near 
Hampton. It has beautiful grounds and buildings, and expends annually one and 
a half million dollars, much of which benefits the county. 



ESSEX COUNTY. 

This county was formed from (old") Rappahannock in 1692, the records of the 
original county remaining in its archives. It is a northeastern county, thirty- 
five miles below Fredericksburg, on the Rappahannock river. About twenty 
miles of its lower river front is in the famous oyster section, which produces as 
fine oysters as any section of the State. 

This county was once the seat of great wealth, and bv well directed enterprise 
and energy could be still readily restored to its former affluence and importance. 

Dimensions of county are as follows: about thirty-five miles long and six miles 
wide; area, 277 square miles. 

The lands are fertile and easily cultivated, and, being smooth, with no stone, 
all improved agricultural machinery can be used to advantage. 

Physical aspects of the county are the same as in the tidewater county generally, 
the surface principally level, or slightly rolling. Soil is sandy loam, with clay 
subsoil. The river lands are very good, and when properly drained are very pro- 
ductive and valuable. On the Dragon Swamp lands, which separate Essex from 
King and Queen, are fine wheat lands, with a heavy, tenacious soil of great fertility. 
The lands of the county respond readily to any effort at improvement, and there 
is no part of the State where farming can be engaged in with better prospects of 
success. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, oats and hay. Trucking also forms a very 
important item of agriculture in this county. The extra early English pea grows 
to great perfection. Several thousand acres in the eastern part of the county 



124 

are annually cultivated in these peas. Potatoes also, and other vegetables, with 
dahy products, are sources of much revenue. This county is well adapted to the 
growth of fruit, such as peaches, apples, pears, and the smaller fruits. There are 
some very fine peaches and apple orchards in the county — some of the former 
numbering as many as 10,000 or 12,000 trees each — the products of which are 
shipped in large quantities bringing the highest prices in the northern markets, or 
disposed of to the several canneries in the county. Clover and other grasses grow 
readily, and interest in these products has greatly increased, indicating an improved 
condition of farming. 

Growing and fattening live stock for market (especially cattle) is very profitable. 
Owing to the mild winters they are fed with much less expense than in the colder 
sections of the State, and numbers of the native-grown cattle, weighing 1,500 
pounds for three-year olds, are sold every year for export; but perhaps the greater 
portion of the cattle of the county are shipped to the Baltimore market. 

The Rappahannock river is well suppleid with fish and oysters. The shad and 
herring fisheries, especially, are very valuable, employing many men and vessels. 

The county is well watered and drained by the Rappahannock river, and its 
numerous tributaries, some of which are navigable; and while there are no rail- 
roads in the county, this deficiency is amply supplied by river navigation, both 
by steam and sail vessels, and the best of markets made accessible by a very 
low rate of freight, wheat and corn being carried to Baltimore, or Norfolk, for 
three cents per bushel. Passenger traffic, as well as freight, is amply supplied 
by a line of steamers from Balitmore and Norfolk to Fredericksburg, fifty-two 
miles above Tappahannock, the county seat. 

About fifty per cent, of the county is under cultivation, and the balance em- 
braces considerable quantities of timber in oak, pine, elm, ash, poplar and chestnut. 
Some few lumber mills are in operation. 

A general summary of the county embraces numerous attractions and advan- 
tages not heretofore enumerated; such as an excellent telephone system over the 
county; superior educational advantages and mail facilities; churches, numerous 
and convenient, of the several denominations;' health good, and water as fine as 
any in the State, being freestone from wells and from springs sometimes impreg- 
nated with iron, and also from artesian wells, giving pure water in abundance; 
financial condition favorable, and progress and general advancement abreast of 
any of the neighboring counties; brineries have become a profitable industry. 
Additional advantages are its mild cilmate, and its cheap and easy living; its 
abundance of fish in the rivers, wild fowls in the creeks and marshes, and probably 
as much game of all kinds as can be found in any other portion of the State. 

When the tide of immigration reaches its normal condition, this will be found 
to be one of the finest counties in the State in which to locate new and desirable 
homes at very moderate prices. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 9,105. 

Tappahannock, the county seat, is a port of entry for the district. It is located 
on the Rappahannock river, in the northeast part of the county, and contains 
several public schools, churches, a bank, newspaper, large sumac mill, canning 
factory, foundry and machine shops. Its water supply is from artesian wells, 
and the town is laid off on the same plan and same day as Philadelphia. Other 
towns of the county are Loretta and Dunnsville. 



FAIRFAX COUNTY. 

Fairfax county was formed from Prince William in 1742, and named in honor 
of Lord Fairfax. It lies on the west bank of the Potomac river. The eastern por- 
tion of the county is in the immediate vicinity of the cities of Washington, George- 
town and Alexandria. It is situated in the northeastern portion of the State, 
seventy-eight miles north of Richmond, and contains an area of 433 square miles; 
generally in a high state of cultivation, with nice, commodious buildings. The 
altitude is 382 feet. 

Lands near Washington City are high, but in the interior of the county good 



125 

farms can be bought at from $20.00 to $40.00 per acre. The surface of the county 
is generally rolling and smooth, nine-tenths of which is arable. A variety of soils 
exist; in some sections sandy, but generally red clay. The lands throughout the 
county are generally good; in some parts very fertile and capable of a high state 
of cultivation. 

Farm products, already very large, are rapidly increasing, and consist prin- 
cipally of corn, wheat, oats, rye, hay, fruits, dairy, and vegetables. The culti- 
vation of wheat has increased immensely. Fruit culture is an important industry 
in the county, and is being rapidly developed. Apples, peaches, pears, plums, 
cherries, quinces and grapes are grown in great abundance, and of the latter 
there are vineyards of over 100 acres. Fairfax has formerly stood at the head of 
the list of counties in the value of orchard products. 

The dairy business is conducted on an extensive scale, and has enormously 
increased within recent years, until the daily shipments of milk and cream to 
Washington and Georgetown amount to over 4,000 gallons. There are also several 
butter and cheese factories in the county. Poultry raising and market gardening 
are largely engaged in, and are sources of much revenue. Its proximity to Wash- 
ington, Georgetown and Alexandria insures a convenient and ready market for 
all the products of the farm, dairy and garden. 

The fish industry in the Potomac and small streams gives employment and 
remuneration to quite a large number of people. The raising of cattle, sheep and 
hogs is carried on to a considerable extent, and is quite profitable. 

The transportation facilities of the county are of the very best, there being 
hardly a place more than six or eight miles from some one or other of the several 
railroads which traverse the county, or from the Potomac river, which bounds 
two sides of the county, and is navigable for large vessels as far as Washington. 
Three steam and three electric railways connect this county with Washington 
and attract a considerable population to the numerous and convenient suburbs. 

Red sandstone and gray granite are found in considerable deposits, in various 
sections of the county, as are also gold, iron, copper, asbestos, and soapstone; 
but are not developed to any large extent. The Theodora Copper Mine is in this 
county. Timber — generally pine, with some oak, poplar and chestnut — is found, 
especially in the southern part of the county. Water and drainage are amply 
furnished by the Potomac and Occoquan rivers and their tributaries, but no 
important water power is found, except at the great falls of the Potomac. The 
climate is temperate and salubrious; the water soft, pure, and sometimes impreg- 
nated with iron; health excellent. 

Educational advantages consist of the public free schools, the Episcopal High 
School, the Theological Seminary, and convenient access to the schools of Wash- 
ington and those of Alexandria. Churches and mail facilities are numerous and 
convenient. Financial condition of the county is very favorable, and telephone 
service is very good, having direct communication with Washington and Alexandria. 

There is a steady and very marked progress and advancement in this county 
year by year, as is evidenced by the large increase in population, many families 
from the northern and western States having settled in the county since the war. 
The National Bank of Fairfax is a flourishing institution. There is also a State 
bank at Falls Church, and a banking institution at Herndon, both doing a fine 
business. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 20,536. 

Fairfax, the county seat, is located in the center of the county, midway between 
the main line and the Washington and Bluemont branch of the Southern railway, 
and about six miles from each. It is also the terminus of the W., A. & F. C. 
electric railroad. It is a thriving inland village of 500 inhabitants, with streets 
well graded and paved, several public and private schools, churches, Masonic 
lodges, carriage and wagon factory, newspaper (the Fairfax Herald), etc. 

Centerville, another village of some importance, is located on the extreme border 
of the county and near the famous battlefield of Manassas. 

Other towns in the county are Falls Church, with population 1,007 — an increase 
since census of 1890 of 215; Herndon, population of 692; Vienne, a population of 
317. These are thriving villages situated on the railroad. 



127 

Mount Vernon, the beautiful home and burial place of Washington, is situated 
in this county on the banks of the Potomac, eight miles below Alexandria and 
fifteen miles from Washington City, from which latter place steamers visit Mount 
Vernon daily. There is also an electric railway connecting it with Alexandria 
and Washington. The grounds are in charge of the Mount Vernon Association, 
and are visited by thousands of persons from all parts of the world. 



FAUQUIER COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1759 from Prince William, and named in honor of 
Francis Fauquier, who was governor from 1758 to 1767. 

This is a northern county, sixty-three miles, air line, north of Richmond. It 
lies at the upper waters of the Rappahannock river, which separates it from 
Culpeper and Rappahannock on the west, and at the foot of the Blue Ridge 
mountains on the northwest, which separate it from Warren. 

Besides the Blue Ridge, there are several other mountain ranges in the county, 
the principal of which are the Carter's and Bull Run, which form a chain through 
its central part north and south. 

The length is forty-five miles, mean breadth sixteen miles, area 676 square 
miles. The surface is gently rolling, and in some portions, quite hilly, but with 
considerable level land. About eighty per cent, of the county is under cultivation, 
and, having been judiciously managed, is generally in a high state of improve- 
ment. The soil in most part is very fertile, especially the noted greenstone 
lands, which constitute the richest part of this productive county. 

Farm products are wheat, corn (in the production of which it is second in the 
State), oats, hay, peas, beans, potatoes, and vegetables of all kinds. The pro- 
ductions of the county furnish a large surplus for the markets. The usual fruits 
adapted to this latitude, such as apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and the smaller 
fruits, succeed admirably, and are being largely grown; also, the grape is being 
successfully cultivated, especially on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge moun- 
tains. The most important products of the county are the cereals and grasses, 
but stock raising ranks as the chief industry. 

This is essentially a pastoral county, being so thoroughly watered, and the 
soil so well adapted to the growth of all the grasses, especially the nutritious blue 
grass, which grows spontaneously, and is so valuable in the production of fine 
cattle, for which this county is so noted in the markets of Washington, Baltimore 
and the cities farther north, as well as in the export markets of Europe. 

This county is very favorably situated as to markets, with its splendid railroad 
service, north and south, affording quick, easy and cheap transportation to the 
nearby cities of Alexandria, Washington and Baltimore. Its railroads are the 
Manassas and Warrenton branches of the Southern railway. 

The mineral formations of this county are various, embracing gold, iron, copper, 
asbestos, marble, slate, sandstone, and granite, several of which are mined and 
quarried. Timber is good, consisting principally of oak, hickory, chestnut and 
poplar. There is an unusually large number of sawmills in operation in this 
county, also spoke mills, and other small factories. 

Fauquier is abundantly watered by the Rappahannock and Occoquan rivers, 
and other small streams which also afford splendid water power for all kinds 
of manufacturing purposes. 

The climate is delightful, especially in summer, not objectionably severe in 
winter, very healthful, and free from all malarious diseases or fevers. Water is 
freestone and very abundant; never-failing springs and wells on almost every tract. 

There are churches of all Protestant denominations throughout the county. 
Mail facilities ample, and public schools numerous and of a high order, also several 
academies of excellent standing. 

Warrenton, the chief town and county seat, 365 feet above sea level, is located 
on the Warrenton branch of the Southern railway, and in the center of a refined 
and intelligent community. It has a population, by census of 1900, of 1,627, 



128 

which is an increase of 281 since census of 1890. It has numerous churches, 
schools, also newspapers, lodges of Odd Fellows and Masons, a bank and a steam 
grist mill. Nearby is the Warrenton White Sulphur Springs, a popular pleasure 
and health resort. 

There are several other thriving villages in the county, among them Upperville, 
with a population of 376; Remington, population 198; Paris, Summerville, Mark- 
ham, The Plains, New Baltimore, Marshal, Rectortown, Midland and Bealton. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 22,546. 

Fauquier ranks high as regards quality of soil, beauty of scenery, healthfulness 
and general prosperity, having among its farmers some of the most successful 
and propserous in the State. 



FLOYD COUNTY. 

This county is one of the three — Floyd, Carroll and Grayson — that form the 
Garden Plateau of Southwest Virginia, and was taken from Montgomery county 
in 1831 while the Hon. John Floyd was Governor of Virginia, hence its name, 
and lies between the Alleghany and Blue Ridge mountains, 225 miles southwest 
from Richmond, and is near the southern boundary line of the State. Only a 
small portion of Patrick county separates it from North Carolina. 

The surface is rolling, and in some parts mountainous. The soil is very productive 
and well adapted to grass. The climate is diversified and remarkably fine, with 
uniform seasons, especially fine during the summer months, and when rendered 
more accessible to the outside world by means of a railroad, she will become a 
noted summer resort — without one, she remains the home of a sturdy race of 
mountaineers, whose farms being inaccessible to markets, are only producing a 
tithe of what they might. 

The county is drained by Little river and several of its tributaries. One peculiar 
feature of the county is not one drop of water flows into it from an adjoining 
county. Floyd, though comparatively new, is not behind her sister counties in 
the importance of resources, which only await development through the intro- 
duction of capital and adequate transportation, which will send her coppers to 
the smelters, her soapstone to the cities to help make them fireproof, her fields 
to bloom with food for the masses of the towns, her hills to be covered with those 
who shall love to come to them for their beauty, rest and health. Land has increased 
in value more than 100 per cent, in the last five years, and stock raising is the 
largest source of revenue. Thousands of fine cattle are shipped each year. Raising 
of fine horses and sheep is also a notable industry among the farmers of the plateau. 

The mineral wealth of the county is of great value. Nearly every part of the 
surface indicates the presence of ores, such as gold, silver, iron, copper, lead, gra- 
phite, asbestos, soapstone, nickel and arsenic. Copper, iron, nickel, gold and 
arsenic have been successfully worked. Floyd has the marked distinction of hav- 
ing within her boundaries the only arsenic mine in North America, and is now 
making large shipments of this product to various parts of the world. The New 
York and Virginia Copper Company, a corporation composed of New York 
capitalists, have their valuable plant in this county about seven miles south- 
west of the county seat, and have been operating for several years. This cor- 
poration has a capital of $2,500,000.00. The mines are very rich in copper and 
iron, with showings of gold and arsenic. 

A charter has been granted by the Corporation Commission for a railroad from 
Roanoke City to the county seat of Floyd, and eventually south of Mt. Airy, 
N. C. The line has been surveyed, and it is supposed that active work of con- 
struction will commence in the early spring. This line of railroad will traverse 
the famous Pippin territory. Already thousands of acres have been set in fruits 
of all kinds. The Haycock orchard, which was at one time the largest orchard 
of its kind in the State, is situated on this line of railroad four miles southeast 
from the county seat. 

Many sections of the county are still covered with a fine virgin forest, embracing 



129 

about one-half of the area of the county. The more valuable species are walnut, 
poplar, oak, hickory, ash, pine, maple, and chestnut. These timbers are being 
rapidly converted into lumber by the numerous sawmills in operation in the 
county. 

Many of the mountain peaks afford excellent views of the surrounding country, 
particularly the famous Buffalo Knob in the west end of the county, and the historic 
Storker's Knob, under whose shadows the quaint but beautiful little town of Floyd 
is situated, are frequently visited by excursion parties. This is an elevated, 
healthful section — no epidemics, and possesses delightful climate. 

Other advantages and attractions, briefly enumerated, are good mail facilities, 
excellent freestone water, churches, public schools, high school; financial condi- 
tions excellent, with not a dollar of indebtedness, with the people industrious, 
frugal and enterprising. 

Floyd, the county seat, is situated near the center of the county, and is a thriv- 
ing inland town, with steam lumber mills, newspaper, banks, stores in abundance, 
hotels; in fact, everything that goes to make up a typical mountain town. "The 
Floyd Press" is one of the leading weekly newspapers of the State and a great 
factor in the advancement of the county's interest. 

Population, census 1910, 14,092. 



FLUVANNA COUNTY. 

Fluvanna was organized in 1777. It lies on the north bank of James river, 
near the center of the State, fifty-seven miles northwest of Richmond. 

This county is nearly square and contains 289 square miles. Average size farms, 
250 acres. Bottom lands on the water courses are the most valuable, rating at 
from $20.00 to $75.00 per acre. Surface generally rolling, self-draining and easy 
to cultivate; with soils of every variety and capacity of productiveness, from 
the richest alluvial bottoms, often skirted by heavy productive clay coils, to the 
less productive ridges between the rivers. In the eastern part of the county the 
lands are, in the main, of a grey granite soil, while in the western portion is a 
heavier, closer, in the main red clay soil mixed with quartz rock, both of which 
readily respond to generous treatment. The flat lands along the James, Rivanna 
and Hardware rivers, and the many creeks which traverse the county, are very 
fertile and productive, yielding large crops of wheat, corn and hay; and perhaps 
the finest grain belt known to this country includes the lower part of this county. 

The products of the county are wheat, corn, oats, rye, grass, fruit and tobacco, 
the latter of which is the most important and profitable. The soil and climate 
seem to be especially adapted to the growth of tobacco, large quantities — over 
a million pounds — being produced annually, embracing not only the famous 
sun-cured, but the finest grade of shipping and mahogany wrappers. For fruits, 
large and small, and vegetables of all kinds the soil and climate are well adapted. 
Grasses of various kinds do well. Herds grass — red top — is in some localities 
indigenous, and red clover, timothy and orchard grass grow luxuriantly on good 
soil, or when properly treated with manures, ashes or commercial fertilizers. 

Its rolling and well-drained lands, pure water and mild climate make it pecu- 
liarly fitted for sheep; also, fine herds of cattle are to be found in different sections 
of the county. 

The James River Division of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad passes along 
the entire southern border of the county and gives easy and quick communica- 
tion with the cities east and west, and the Virginia Air Line, passing through the 
center of the county, gives additional communication with the cities east and west, 
and also quick communication with Washington and the cities north. 

The county is believed to be rich in various minerals — gold, silver, copper, 
talc, soapstone, iron, building stone, slate, etc. They are, in the main, undeveloped. 
Indications are so favorable as, in the opinion of skilled mineralogists, to promise 
rich results. Dr. Watson, the State geologist, has recently made a special and 
favorable report on the slate and building stones of this county. Tellurium, 



130 

the oldest gold mine in Virginia, is situated in this county; deeper shafts are being 
sunk on this mine at present. 

There is also much valuable timber, such as oak, poplar, pine, hickory, etc. 

There is no county in the State, and possibly no such extent of territory any- 
where better or so well watered as is this; with the James river encircling its south- 
ern boundary for about twenty-two miles; the Rivanna river running through the 
county from northeast to southeast for about thirty-five miles, cutting it nearly 
in half; and the Hardware river traversing its western border with their numerous 
tributaries, Cunningham, Raccoon, ManChunk, Ballinger, the two Byrds, Cary 
and Bremo, and other smaller creeks, and innumerable branches intersecting the 
county in every direction. These streams also afford a series of fine water power 
for mill sites and manufactories, upon which there are already located numerous 
mills; the Rivanna offers special inducements with its dams. 

The climate of the county is unsurpassed, being temperate and perfectly healthy. 
The water is abundant, and from springs of purest freestone. There are churches, 
postoffices with rural deliveries, and public schools in every neighborhood. A 
telephone line ramifies through the county, connecting its citizens with important 
business centers in and out of the county. Population, by census of 1910, 8,323. 

Altogether, the county offers many attractions to settlers, such as cheap and 
productive lands, healthful and salubrious climate, accessibility to market, good 
schools and good church privileges. There is much uncultivated land now 
lying unimproved for the lack of capital and labor, which would make it blossom 
as the rose. The people will heartily welcome both in their midst. 

Palmyra, the county seat, is a small but growing village, located in the center 
of the county on the Rivanna river, and on the Virginia Air Line railroad. It 
contains wheat and corn mills, a normal high school, newspaper, churches, stores, 
etc. Three hundred and sixty feet above tidewater. 

Columbia, with a population of 216 by the census of 1900, is situated at the 
confluence of the Rivanna and the James, 286 feet above tidewater. 

Fork Union is situated on the south side of the county, near the Virginia Air 
Line railroad; has a flourishing military academy, and is quite a tobacco center. 



FRANKLIN COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Henry and Bedford, in 1784, and lies at the 
eastern base of the Blue Ridge mountains, in the southern part of the State, 140 
miles southeast of Richmond. 

It is thirty miles long and about twenty miles wide, containing an area of 690 
square miles. Farms average in size 150 acres. Price of lands ranges from 
$5.00 to $50.00 per acre. 

The surface is rolling, and in some parts mountainous. The soil, chiefly a red 
clay, is very fertile. This is one of the most productive of the Piedmont counties, 
producing large crops of wheat, corn, rye, oats, hay and tobacco, especially the 
latter; nearly all the landholders being tobacco planters to a considerable extent. 
The region is unexcelled for growing all the fruits for which this Piedmont section 
is noted; such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, cherries, grapes, etc. First 
prizes were awarded at the Buffalo, St. Louis and Jamestown Expositions on the 
Pippin apples grown in Franklin. 

Dairy products and poultry also pay well, market advantages being very good. 
Grazing facilities are not fully developed, but are very good, and considerable 
attention is paid to raising stock for the markets, and also horses. Milch cows 
and other cattle are shipped in large numbers. 

Railroads are the Franklin and Pittsylvania railroad and the Norfolk and 
Western, which crosses the county from north to south, furnishing ample facilities 
for transportation. 

Minerals of this county are iron, abestos, mica, granite and soapstone, the 
principal of which is iron, which is found in inexhaustible quantities, and is the 
only one that has been successfully worked. 



131 

Timber of the various kinds is abundant, the most valuable being oak, poplar, 
pine, hickory, walnut, and chestnut. Furniture factories, stave mills, and a 
large number of steam sawmills are in operation, turning this timber to profitable 
account. 

Rivers are the Staunton, on the northeast border, and the Pig and the Black- 
water, with their numerous tributaries, which afford ample drainage and excellent 
water power, as is evidenced by the flour mills, some sawmills, and woodworking 
establishments located on them. 

The climate is mild, the water unsurpassed, and the health of the county 
excellent. A large number of churches represent the different denominations, 
and mail facilities are verv fine. 

Population, census of 1910, 26,480. 

The people are generous, hospitable and progressive, and the stranger who 
comes to make his home amongst them receives a hearty welcome. 

Rocky Mount, the county seat, with a population of 612, is located about the 
center of the county, on the Winston-Salem division of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad, and is also the western terminus of the Franklin division of the Southern 
railway. It is an enterprising business place, with two large tobacco warehouses 
and manufacturing establishments, good schools, numerous churches, several 
fraternal orders, two national banks, newspapers, and a number of business houses. 
Its altitude is 1,132 feet. There are five high schools in the county. 



FREDERICK COUNTY. 

Frederick county was formed in 1738 from Orange. It is the northernmost 
county of the State, at the head of the Shenandoah valley, 116 miles from Rich- 
mond. It is twenty miles long and about eighteen miles wide, and has an area 
of 425 square miles, with an average assessed value of S12.00 per acre. 

The middle part of the county is interspersed with frequent mountain ranges, 
with valley lands between, but the surface generally is undulating. There are 
belts of gray slate formation, also of limestone, the latter embracing one of the 
most productive sections of the State. This is one of the best counties of the fa- 
mous Valley of Virginia, noted for its fine lands and good farming. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, rye, hay and oats, of which fine crops are pro- 
duced. In the value of orchard products, this county stands very high; some 
sections have attained considerable notoriety for fine apples, especially near 
Winchester. 

Fruit growing, farming and stock raising constitutes most profitable industries, 
the county having most excellent market advantages. This is one of the finest 
five stock counties in the State. Horses and cattle, in large numbers, and of supe- 
rior quality, are raised and shipped to northern markets. 

The railroads are the Valley branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, the 
Southern, and the Norfolk and Western, and the Cumberland Valley, extending 
from Winchester to Pennsylvania, affording a great through route of travel and 
traffic, from the east and northeast to the south and southwest, as well as most 
excellent facilities for trade and travel northward. 

Minerals are iron, coal and limestone. The iron is found in North mountains, 
in large quantity and good quality. The coal is of the anthracite formation. 
Timbers are oak, hickory, walnut, pine, locust and ash, and are fairly good in 
quality, especially in the limestone belt. 

Streams are Cedar creek, Opequon, Bark and Hogen creeks, and numerous 
others affording water power for largely increased manufacturing purposes. This 
county can boast of an unusual number of manufactories, such as flour mills 
of large capacity; numerous woolen mills; tanneries; glove, cigar box and cabinet 
factories; sawmills and planing mills; carriage factories; two iron foundries; 
a steam paper mill; a fertilizer factory; sumac and bark mill; shoe factory; wheat- 
fan factory; agricultural implement factory; glass-cutting establishment, and 
a number of other smaller industries, 



133 

The public roads and turnpikes are exceptionally good, eight macadamized 
turnpikes running into Winchester. 

There are numerous fine mineral springs in the county; the principal of which 
are the Rock Enon Springs, and the Jordan White Sulphur, which have an extended 
reputation and are liberally patronized. 

Climate is healthful and salubrious, and water unsurpassed, with its numerous 
clear streams and copious springs. Churches are numerous, and schools are of a 
high order, the county having been long known for its superior educational advan- 
tages. Telephone service and mail facilities are excellent. The financial condi- 
tion of the county is good, with no public debt, while in progress and general 
advancement there has been a marked improvement in the past few years. Pop- 
ulation of county, by census of 1910, not including city of Winchester, 12,786. 
This is the county seat, a prosperous city, the second in importance in the great 
Valley of Virginia. (See cities of Virginia.) 

The educational, moral and social advantages of this county render it one of 
the most attractive in the State. Its altitude is 717 feet. 

Frederick county is now conceded to be the largest apple-growing county in 
the State of Virginia. 

The crop in the fall of 1910 was two hundred and fifty thousand barrels, for 
which one-half million dollars was received by the fruit growers of the county. 

Only a comparatively small proportion of the orchards planted are now bearing, 
and in five years the crops will easily amount to one million barrels a year. 

The soil is of the very best for apple growing, and there is always a ready sale 
for the apples, and they are known as good keepers, and a great many are bought 
for exportation. 



GILES COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1806, from Monroe and Tazewell, and was named 
in honor of the Honorable W. B. Giles, representative in Congress from this State, 
1790-1802, and Govenor of Virginia in 1827. It lies on the western border of the 
State, about 185 miles southwest from Richmond, and has an area of 349 square 
miles. 

All its borders, north, south, east and west, are mountainous; ; the middle rolling, 
about fifty per cent, of area being under cultivation. The soil is limestone and 
clay, and generally very fertile. 

Products are corn, wheat, rye, oats, hay, etc. The crop of maple sugar, syrup, 
and sorghum is worthy of mention, especially the sorghum. This county is well 
adapted to the growth of fruit, and considerable attention is being paid to this 
industry, especially to the apple crop, large quantities „of which are shipped, and 
add greatly to the revenues of the people; also grape culture is coming to be very 
extensive, and the cherry grows in great abundance, being apparently a native 
of this climate and soil. Some very fine peaches are grown, and in large quantity, 
when proper attention is given to their culture and protection from the borer. 
All these fruits and berries, besides vegetables of all kinds, which grow to great 
perfection, find a ready and remunerative market in the coal fields near by. 

From the same source there is a constant demand for the dairy products, butter 
and cheese; also poultry and eggs, large quantities of which are produced. 

The rich bottom lands on the river and other water courses are splendidly 
adapted to trucking, and they are being utilized for that purpose to a considerable 
extent. 

This county is also splendidly adapted to grazing and the production of hay. 
All the grasses do weU, and in some sections blue grass grows spontaneously. 
As a result of these favorable conditions live-stock raising is one of the most 
important industries of the county. Large numbers of fine fat cattle and lambs 
are annually shipped to the northern and eastern markets, and some of the former 
sold for the export trade. This is an exceedingly fine corn county, which renders 
the pork and bacon product very valuable. 



134 

Railroads are the New River division of the Norfolk and Western railroad, 
and two lateral lines, one the Big Stony, extending up Big Stony creek a distance 
of twelve or fifteen miles; the other, the New River, Holston and Western, ex- 
tending up Wolf creek about the same distance; and, in addition to these, the 
Tidewater railroad, now being constructed through the entire length of the county. 
These are standard gauge roads, built primarily to reach the ores, timbers, tanbark, 
etc., of those sections, but destined to be extended to other and further undevel- 
oped portions of the southwest, ultimately forming connections with through 
trunk lines. The New River division, now the main line of the Norfolk and West- 
ern railroad, extends from Radford to Columbus, Ohio; and, by a branch line, to 
Norton, connecting with the Louisville and Nashville for Cincinnati, Louisville, 
etc. The New River railroad follows the course of New River through the center 
of the county a distance of twenty-eight miles to the West Virginia line, and 
thence into one of the finest mineral and timber regions in the world. 

The minerals of the county are destined, at no distant day, to be the source of 
its greatest wealth. Iron of fine quality is found in almost every section of the 
county, while manganese, zinc, lead, barytes, and variegated marble have been 
found. The limestone, especially along the river and railroad, in quantity and 
quality for building purposes or lirne, cannot, for the same area, be excelled in 
the world. Several lime works of large capacity are located on this line, and 
have large and increasing demands from the coal fields and elsewhere for all 
they can produce, and still there is room and demand for more. 

Timber has been very abundant in this county, but has been very extensively 
culled out. There is a very large area, 30,000 or 40,000 acres, of remote mountain 
lands that, owing to inconvenient transportation, have not been worked at all. 
Large areas of the mountain sides yield immensely in chestnut oak, from which 
tanbark is obtained. The timbers of the county are white oak, black oak, chestnut 
oak, chestnut, hickory, sugar maple, locust, black pine, yellow pine, white pine, 
hemlock or spruce pine, poplar, wild cherry, ash, linden, buckeye, walnut, dogwood 
and cedar, in the order of their respective supply. Much of this timber is very 
fine for cabinet and ornamental purposes. 

The whole area of the county is well watered by New river flowing through 
it, and several of its large tributaries, such as Big and Little Stony creeks, Sinking 
and Doe creeks on the east side, Wolf and Walker's creeks on the west side. There 
is ample water power on nearly all the streams to warrant extensive establishments. 
Numerous fine rolling mills are located on these streams. The most extensive 
manufacturing enterprises of the county are the two large steam tanneries located 
at Bluff City, near Pearisburg, and at the Narrows, five miles below. These opera- 
tions give employment to a large number of the laboring population and a fine 
market for the tanbark, in which this county abounds so largely. 

No description of this county would be complete without a reference to its 
notable physical features as displayed in its grand mountains and magnificent 
scenery. Toward the central part of the county is the lofty and beautiful Angel's 
Rest, about 4,000 feet above sea level, and 2,000 feet above the river below. 

Opposite to Angel's Rest, on the northeast side of the river, is Butte mountain, 
of the same general formation and elevation. Flanking the latter on the south 
is the Salt Pond mountain, with its Bald Knob towering nearly 5,000 feet above 
the sea. Answering this mountain in position is the Sugar Run mountain on the 
opposite or southwest side. Toward the southern side of the county are the im- 
portant iron-bearing parallel series composed of Spruce, John's Creek and Gap 
mountains on the northeast side of New river, and of Buckeye, Guinea and Walker's 
mountains on the southwest side of the river, Gap mountain and Walker's mountain 
answering to each other in line of continuation. But the most noted and the 
grandest scenery of all is Mountain Lake and the cascades, and Bald Knob, near 
by. Mountain Lake is a celebrated health and pleasure resort on the top of Salt 
Pond mountain, and truly it may be called the silver gem of the Alleghanies, 
situated, as it is, almost on the summit of the highest mountain of Virginia, at 
an elevation of more than 4,000 feet above the sea. Besides the pure mountain 
air and water, its chief attraction is a lake of clear, transparent water three- 
quarters of a mile long by one-half mile wide, with a surface area of about 250 



135 

acres and an average depth of about sixty feet. Another notable point in this 
galaxy of sublime scenery is Bald Knob, three-fourths of a mile in the rear of 
Mountain Lake, and 500 feet higher; so high that scarcely anything grows on it's 
lofty summit, from which landmarks of five different States are visible. 

Eggleston Springs, commonly called New River White Sulphur Springs, is 
located on the south side of the county, nine miles from Pearisburg, the county 
seat, on the east bank of New river, one-quarter of a mile from Eggleston Springs 
station, on the Norfolk and Western railroad. This is a popular resort, having 
an elevation of 2,000 feet, and said to possess highly medicinal and curative 
properties. 

In climate, health and water, this county ranks with the most favored portions 
of the State; churches are numerous and well attended; schools excellent, public 
and graded; mail facilities and telephone service reach to every section of the 
county; financial condition highly favorable. The people are moral, sober, in- 
dustrious, enterprising, and proud of their county, which is fast becoming one 
of the most progressive in the State, as evidenced by its rapidly increasing popu- 
lation. 

Pearisburg, the county seat, is situated in the shadow, almost, of the beautiful 
Angel's Rest, one mile from Pearisburg station on the Norfolk and Western rail- 
road, and has a population, by census of 1900, of 464 — an increase since census 
of 1890 of 123. It contains churches of different denominations, public and graded 
schools, hotels, stores, several fraternal orders, a bank, newspaper, etc. Its alti- 
tude is 1,547 feet. Area of county, 349 square miles. 

Other towns in the county are Narrows, Newport, Staffordsville, Eggleston, 
and other business points of some importance. The first two named are large 
business centers, vieing with the county seat in importance and population. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 11,623. 

To its other more notable features, Giles county adds the highly important 
one of being the great gateway of railway travel and traffic to the famous coal 
fields of Virginia and West Virginia and to northern and northwestern cities. 



GLOUCESTER COUNTY. 

Gloucester was formed, in 1661, from York, and named after Gloucestershire, 
in England, from which place most of the earliest settlers of the county came. 
It is located in the eastern part of the State, thirty-eight miles from Richmond. 
It is twenty-seven miles long and eight miles wide, and contains 253 square miles. 

On the water courses the lands are low and level; further back they are higher 
and gently undulating, but no portion of the county is very far from deep water. 
The proportion of cultivated land to the area is from one-fourth to one-third. 
The soil is generally a sandy loam, with rich alluvial lands along its many streams. 

Farm products are hay, corn, oats, rye and wheat, but tobacco and peanuts 
can be profitably grown. The soil and climate are admirably adapted to 
trucking, the principal crops of which are Irish and sweet potatoes, peas, canta- 
loupes, watermelons, etc. Fruit culture is receiving more attention, and will 
prove very profitable with intelligent care. All the fruits are grown to some 
extent, but the most profitable are pears, grapes, and strawberries. 

Market advantages are good. Produce shipped in the evening is on the Balti- 
more market next morning; also, Norfolk and Richmond are good markets for 
this section. 

Owing to the great extent of water front, Gloucester is probably more largely 
engaged in oyster planting than any of the counties of the oyster section, and 
the quality of her oysters ranks with the best. The fisheries of the county are 
also very extensive and valuable, employing large capital and labor, and bringing 
to its citizens and the State large revenue. A very large proportion of the people 
derive a livelihood almost entirely from the water, and its products may be con- 
sidered the most important and profitable industries of the county. 

Increased attention is being given to the raising of stock and the cultivation 



136 

of the grasses, for which the low grounds are well adapted; and they also succeed 
very well on the uplands. 

The nearest railroad point is West Point, the eastern terminus of the York 
river division of the Southern railway, sixteen miles distant. Any deficiency 
in this respect is amply supplied by the extensive water transportation that 
reaches every portion of the county. Steamers and sail vessels daily ply the York 
and Pasquotank rivers, and Chesapeake and Mobjack bays, affording cheap, 
convenient and direct communication with the cities of Baltimore, Norfolk, and 
Richmond, also with Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, by connections at 
Old Point. The water courses above named, together with Ware, Severn, and 
North rivers, and numerous creeks, afford not only a magnificent water supply, 




A VIRGINIA OYSTER FLEET. 

but are turned to valuable account for their productions and for their transpor- 
tation facilities. 

The county is fairly well timbered; principally pine, while some oak, hickory, 
and cypress are found. Several sawmills are successfully employed; lumber, 
cord-wood, poplar wood, and railroad ties are shipped to considerable extent. 
Marl is found throughout the county a few feet below the surface, and has been 
extensively and successfully used as a fertilizer. 

Owing to the proximity of the county to numerous bodies of salt water and 
the sea, the climate is mild in winter and tempered by the sea breeze in summer; 
and the salt water atmosphere also has the effect to render it very healthful. 
Water is supplied by artesian wells, easily bored, and by numerous springs, and 
is abundant and good. There is also excellent lithia water in the county. Churches 
of the various denominations, Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian 
are well located. Educational advantages are good, with one academy and one 
young ladies' school, and with public schools in every neighborhood. The county 
is well supplied with telephone service, local and long-distance, two banks, and 
has excellent mail facilities. In progress and general advancement there is a 



137 

decided upward tendency in this county. The farmers are adopting improved 
implements and methods, and financial conditions are better than for years past. 
A very good indication of this as a desirable section is the increased population 
as shown below. 

Population, census of 1910, 12,477 

Gloucester, the county seat, is located on Mobjack bay, an arm of the Chesa- 
peake, and is small country village of about one hundred inhabitants, containing 
carriage and harness shops, lodge of Masons and daily mail communications. 

This county has some of the finest estates in Virginia, and, in ante-bellum days, 
was noted for its wealth and refinement. It is also noted as having been the place 
of the death and burial of Nathaniel Bacon, the leader of the rebellion against 
Governor Sir William Berkeley in 1676. It is furthermore claimed to have been 
in this county, on the York, that Pocahontas saved the life of Captain John Smith. 



GOOCHLAND COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1727 from Henrico, and named in honor of one of 
Virginia's colonial Governors. This is a central county, and lies along the northern 
bank of James river, a distance of about forty miles. It is situated thirteen miles 
west of Richmond. 

Thirty miles lorig and about ten miles wide, it has an area of 296 square miles. 
Its surface is undulating. Its soil is a gray or chocolate loam, with stiff red clay 
subsoil, and on the water courses, is very rich and productive. The uplands, 
though not so good, are easily improved and are well adapted to tobacco. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, and hay, corn, wheat and tobacco 
being the chief — especially the last two. Fruits and vegetables of the usual 
varieties are produced to a considerable extent, especially grapes, to which much 
of the land is admirably adapted. Market advantages are good, by rail and 
market carts, to Richmond. Clover and timothy do well, and more attention is 
being paid to the cultivation of grasses and the introduction of improved stock. 

The James river division of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, following the 
windings of James river on the southern border of the county for over forty miles, 
furnishes ample and convenient transportation facilities. 

Minerals are gold, coal, iron, mica and plumbago. Several of the gold and coal 
mines are being worked; also a fine mica mine near Irwin Station, in the lower 
end of the county. Petroleum or naphtha, has been found, and the indications 
are that the oil is in considerable quantities. Mineral waters are alkaline, chaly- 
beate, sulphur, iron and lithia, the most important of which are the fine mineral 
springs at East Lake. 

Timbers are oak, hickory, walnut, pine, poplar, chestnut, cedar, locust and 
ash. They are limited in quantity, but of fine quality. 

It is bountifully watered by the James river and its tributaries on the south, 
and by branches of the South Anna on the north, in which many varieties of fresh 
water fish abound. Industries and new enterprises are numerous, sawmills, flour 
and grist mills, keg factory, stemmery, rock quarries, sassafras mill, and winter- 
green and poke-root mill. 

The climate is salubrious and healthful; water first-class; churches and public 
schools numerous, telephone service and mail facilities very good. 

Population, census of 1910, 9,237. 

Goochland Courthouse, the county seat, is located in the southern part of the 
county, thirty miles west of Richmond, and one mile north of Maiden's Adventure 
depot, James river division Chesapeake and Ohio railway. It is a small country 
village of about fifty inhabitants; its nearest market, Richmond. There are no 
other towns in the county. Altitude, 143 feet. 

Owing to the favorable location of this county, its proximity to Richmond — 
the capital city — cheap lands, fine climate and water, it offers many inducements 
for immigration and investment, and realizing the opportunities presented, many 
northern parties have purchased lands and settled in this county and are much 
pleased- 



138 



GRAYSON COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1793 from Wythe, and named in honor of Honorable 
William Grayson, who was a member of the Virginia Convention of 1788, which 
adopted the Federal Constitution. It is situated on the southern border of the 
State, 265 miles southwest from Richmond. 

It contains 438 square miles. The western portion is mountainous, but the 
central and eastern parts lie in a fertile valley, and comprise a fine farming section. 
About forty per cent, of the land is in cultivation. The soil is loam and gray granite, 
with clay subsoil and quite fertile. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, rye, oats, buckwheat, etc., also a large quantity 
of bacon is annually sold. This is an exceedingly fine fruit county, varieties such 
as the apple, pear, peach, quince, cherry, plum, grape, etc., grow to great per- 




VIRGINIA SHEEP — SOME GOOD SPECIMENS. 



fection. It seems to be the native home of the apple, which is noted for superior 
flavor and excellence. 

This is a good grass section, producing a considerable amount of hay, and 
having excellent grazing facilities. The county is rapidly coming to the front 
in the raising of stock, large numbers of cattle, sheep and other live stock being 
sold every year. 

There are no railroads in the county, except a small portion of the short line 
extending from the North Carolina division of the Norfolk and Western railroad 
to Fries, in this county. Besides other railroads in contemplation, there is every 
indication that the Mount Rogers and Eastern railroad will be built through the 
county at an early day. 

Of the counties lying on the Blue Ridge plateau, with their almost immeasurable 
mineral wealth, this is one of the most important, with its varied deposits of gold, 
silver, iron, copper, lead, mica, asbestos, granite, limestone and freestone. Of 
these iron, copper, granite and asbestos are the most important. 

Timber is very abundant and of great variety, such as poplar, oak, pine, walnut , 



139 

hickory, chestnut, ash, etc. A large sale of timber was recently effected in the 
west end of the county, involving over $100,000. 

This county is splendidly watered by New river and its numerous tributaries. 
The streams are especially adapted to every species of game fish. The mountain 
trout is very common in nearly all the streams, and the famous New river catfish 
reaches its highest perfection in these waters. 

Grayson may be considered not only one of the best watered counties in the 
State, but as having the finest water power, New river furnishing more than a 
thousand horse-power per mile, according to government survey, and all the 
creeks- affording excellent power, every mile or two, for purposes of milling and 
manufacturing. Grain and sawmills are very numerous, also two woolen mills, 
and one or two forges, that partially supply the home demand for iron; but the 
most important enterprise and one of the most extensive in the State, is Wash- 
ington Mills, at Fries, in this county, a corporation chartered under the laws of 
the State of New Jersey, and a few years ago capitalized at $2,250,000. A farmer's 
quiet home on the banks of New river in Grayson county, a few years ago has now 
become the scene of all the hurry and bustle of a large manufacturing town. An 
immense factory building 900 feet long and 130 feet wide, and a dam of stone and 
cement 450 feet long and 40 feet high across New river, went up rapidly, and 
with 6,300 horse-power driving 1,100 looms, the factory employs 1,500 women 
and children besides male labor. The Norfolk and Western extension of its North 
Carolina division has been completed to the mills. This mammoth enterprise 
is only a beginning of what will become a great manufacturing center. 

A splendid, well-ordered hotel is open for the reception of guests, and the store 
and office building, 80x80 feet, and three stories high, is a trading center for the 
people for miles around. 

This county has the distinction of having the highest mountains in the State, 
the Balsam, or Mount Rogers, being the highest, and White Top the next in 
altitude, 5,530 feet above sea level; and for natural scenery it is not surpassed in 
the State. Added to its other attractions are numerous fine sulphur springs and 
other mineral waters. This section is noted for the purity of its air and its immu- 
nity from great storms, guarded as it is by the great Iron Mountain chain on the 
north and west. Its healthfulness is attested by the vigor and longevity of its 
people. There is an abundance of pure freestone water from never-failing springs, 
which supply a wealth of fine water scarcely equalled in the State. 

This county has made rapid progress in the past few years in the construction 
of good, commodious and up-to-date schoolhouses and churches. 

Several high schools, as well as the public school system, are in a prosperous 
condition. Telephone service and mail facilities of the county are very good; 
financial condition favorable, and the people imbued with a spirit of enterprise 
and progress. 

Total population, census of 1910, 19,856. 

Independence, the county seat, is a country village of about 200 inhabitants, 
situated in a fertile valley on a branch of New river, a little east of the center of 
the county. It has several hotels, churches, stores, a saddlery, smith shops, two 
fraternal orders, two newspapers, and a public school. 

A larger town, though only two years older, is Galax, situated on the line of 
Grayson and Carroll, the line passing along the center of the main street. It is 
the terminus of the North Carolina division of the Norfolk and Western railroad, 
and boasts of a large furniture factory, a spoke and handle factory, and a consider- 
able tannery, besides two newspapers, a good bank, a wholesale grocery, and a 
number of small retail stores. 



GREENE COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1838 from the western part of Orange, and was 
named after General Nathaniel Greene, of the Revolution. It is situated in the 
north central part of the State, sixty-six miles northwest from Richmond, and 
lies on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge. 



140 

It contains 150 square miles. Average size of farms is 150 acres; mountain 
lands cheap. The surface is mountainous or hilly, and about one-third in cul- 
tivation; the soil red and gray loam and very fertile, producing corn, wheat, oats, 
rye tobacco, and the grasses. Fruits, such as apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and 
the smaller kinds, are raised in considerable abundance, and of good quality, 
and in fact, may properly be termed the county's most profitable industry. The 
county is also admirably adapted to raising stock, especially sheep. 

The Southern railroad runs within a few miles of the eastern border of the 
county. The Rockingham turnpike, macadamized from Harrisonburg to Gordons- 
ville, passes directly through the county, and affords ample facilities to the farmers 
in getting their products to the markets. 

Minerals are copper and iron, but the lack of convenient transportation has 
retarded the development of them. 

Timber is abundant, consisting of pine, oak, hickory, chestnut, walnut , and 
poplar, the most merchantable of which are oak and pine. Numerous sawmills 
and grain mills are in operation. There are several water courses in the county, 
tributaries of the Rapidan and Rivanna rivers, which afford abundant water power 
for mills, etc. On the head waters of South river, in this county, is a very beautiful 
and romantic cascade, at which the water falls over a precipice 160 feet. 

Climate, water and health of the county are exceptionally good; churches and 
schools numerous and convenient. 

Population, census of 1910, 6,937. 

Stanardsville, the county seat, is in the central portion of the county, and has 
a population of about three hundred. It contains several public schools, churches 
and fraternal orders. 

Ruckersville is a small village in the southeastern part of the county. 



GREENESVILLE COUNTY. 

This county, formed in 1780 from Brunswick, is one of the southern border 
counties, forty-eight miles south of Richmond, and eighty miles west of the Atlantic 
ocean. 

It contains an area of 288 square miles. About one-third of the land is in culti- 
vation. The surface is level or slightly rolling, the soil generally a sandy loam, 
easily tilled. The population last census was 11,890. 

The farm products are varied and valuable, such as tobacco, corn, wheat, oats, 
cotton, peanuts, broom corn, and sweet potatoes, the most important of which 
are cotton and peanuts. Tobacco is also one of the chief staples. Fruits of many 
varieties are cultivated, especially grapes and the small fruits. Transportation 
facilities are good. The Atlantic Coast Line railway, the Southern railway and 
the Seaboard and Roanoke and Virginian railways traverse the county. 

Marl is the only mineral, but it is abundant and valuable as a fertilizer for 
some of the staple crops, especially peanuts. 

Timbers are principally white oak, ash, pine, sycamore, poplar, cedar, hickory 
and chestnut. 

The Nottoway river on the north, and the Meherrin in the center, with their 
tributaries, afford an ample water supply and abundance of fish, besides water 
power for numerous grain mills. 

The climate is pleasant and healthful, and not subject to extremes of either 
heat or cold. Water is good, churches and schools numerous, and the people 
kind and hospitable. 

Emporia, the county seat, is located in the east-central part of the county, 
on the Meherrin river, and at the junction of the Southern and the Atlantic Coast 
Line railroads, and has a population, by census of 1900, of about 6,000. This 
is a growing town. A great many northern and western families have located 
here, which has settled up the county a great deal. The industrial plants here 
are a granite quarry, a fruitpacking plant, and several lumber mills. The latest 
enterprises are cotton factories, which give employment to hundreds. A number 



141 

of new and handsome residences and business houses have been erected during the 
past year. There is good water power at Emporia. Work going on on the dam 
now will soon be completed. There are seven churches, fraternal orders, three 
newspapers, three banks and one branch bank, and a graded school. 
Near by is a North Emporia, a town of considerable importance. 



HALIFAX COUNTY. 

Halifax was formed in 1752 from Lunenburg, and is one of the largest and 
most populous counties in the State. It lies in the heart of the finest tobacco 
growing section of the State, midway from east to west of the border line, ninety- 
miles southwest from Richmond. 

It contains an area of 806 square miles, about one-third of which is in cultiva- 
tion. The surface is rolling; soil of the ridge lands is of a soft gray, sandy char- 
acter; that on the streams is a loam of great fertility. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, rye, oats, hay and tobacco. This county 
ranks sixth in the production of corn; third in oats, and second in tobacco, of 
the counties of the State. Over 13,000,000 pounds of tobacco were produced in 
one year. Fruits vegetables and dairy products are of considerable importance, 
and prove valuable, with proper care and attention. The chief industry is tobacco 
growing, and much is of the finest grades of bright wrappers. Almost every farmer 
is engaged in this line of agriculture. 

The raising of fine stock, horses, cattle and sheep, is attracting the attention 
of the farmers as a source of profit, especially sheep raising, which is being con- 
ducted very successfully. 

Most excellent railroad facilities are furnished by the Southern, the Lynchburg 
and Durham and the Atlantic and Danville railroads, which traverse the county 
in all directions. 

Minerals are iron, copper, slate, plumbago, manganese, gold and mica, several 
of which have been worked to some extent. The Wolf Trap Lithia Well of this 
county, situated on the Southern railway, has attained an excellent reputation, 
and the water is shipped to all parts of the county, also beyond its limits. Gold 
is profitably mined at Red Bank. 

Timber is plentiful, such as hickory, oak, pine, and poplar. Almost every section 
of the county is bountifully watered by the Staunton, the Dan, the Banister and 
Hyco rivers and their tributaries, rendering it one of the best watered counties 
in the State, and also affording excellent water power for numerous flouring and 
saw mills, agricultural implement factories, etc., some being of large capacity. 
The new courthouse is a model in convenience and capacity, with modern fireproof 
vaults. 

This section of Virginia has a mean annual temperature of fifty-eight degrees, 
and the climate is pleasant and healthful. Schools and churches of the various 
denominations are numerous and convenient; four first-class high schools in the 
county; finances excellent, with ten flourishing banks in the county, June 1, 1906. 

Population, census of 1910, 40,044. 

Houston, the county seat, is situated on Banister river, and on the Lynchburg 
and Durham division of the Norfolk and Western railway. It is a thriving town 
of over seven hundred inhabitants, surrounded by a fertile section of the county. 
It contains two flouring mills; also, numerous churches, schools, a high school, two 
banks, a newspaper, and a lodge of Masons. 

South Boston, a town of considerable importance, the largest in the county, 
containing a population of 3,000, is situated in the southern part of the county 
on the Richmond and Danville, and Norfolk and Western railroads, 109 miles 
from Richmond, in what is known as the bright tobacco belt of Virginia. It is 
well drained, healthful, and has good water and a fine system of water works, 
an electric plant, excellent graded schools, numerous churches, two newspapers, 
and four banks, with a combined capital and surplus of $290,000.00. It is rapidly 
growing as a tobacco center, ranking second in the leaf tobacco markets of the State, 



' '*%'( 




143 

sales amounting last year to sixteen million pounds. Besides its large establish- 
ments for the manufacturing of tobacco, several large stemmeries and prizeries, 
with improved machinery, have been erected of late years. 

In addition to all enumerated, this progressive town can make the following 
exhibit of progress since 1901 : A cotton mill, lumber mill, foundry, wagon factory 
lounge factory, broom factory, table factory, show case factory, a handsome new 
hotel, sixty-four new dwellings, a fine Masonic temple, two large buggy factories, 
and an electric power plant on Dan river for manufactories, etc. These enterprises, 
in connection with those already in operation, such as wagon works, woolen 
mills, furniture factory, etc., make a town of considerable importance. The town 
is fast recovering from the great fire of 1906, and will be built better than before. 

Other towns are: Clover, population, 400; Scottsburg and Virgilina, population, 
200, each having a bank. The last-named is one of the most important copper 
districts in the South. There are a number of copper mines in operation in this 
section, and extensive developments are in progress; the outlook for a large out- 
put of a high grade ore is very promising. 



HANOVER COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1720 from New Kent, and lies in the central part 
of the State, between the Pamunkey and Chickahominy rivers, five miles north 
of Richmond, and contains 478 square miles. Surface is level in eastern part, 
and undulating in central and western. 

Soil, light sandy, or gray loam; river lands very productive and valuable, yield- 
ing fine crops of corn, oats and wheat, and well adapted to trucking. Sweet 
potatoes and melons, for which the county is noted, attain here their highest per- 
fection. The higher land in the central and western portion is especially suited 
to the culture of tobacco and the grasses. Considerable attention is paid to fruit 
culture. Several large canneries for fruits and vegetables are in successful opera- 
tion. Trucking is extensively and profitably carried on, and a considerable number 
of the farmers make dairying and poultrying a prominent and successful part of 
their occupation. Truck farming may be considered the most profitable industry 
of the county, the more valuable on account of the proximity to the Richmond 
City market and others. 

This is not, strictly speaking, a stock and grazing county, but it produces many 
fine blooded horses and cattle, and winter feeding of fat stock is carried on suc- 
cessfully. 

Railroads are the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac, and the Chesapeake 
and Ohio. 

Minerals are mica, feldspar, asbestos, phosphate of lime, and gneiss; also marl 
of several varieties and greensand are found here in large quantities and are very 
profitably used on the lands. 

Timbers are oak, pine, hickory, ash, elm, and poplar. Considerable quanti- 
ties of lumber, cross- ties and cord wood are marketed. 

The county is abundantly watered by the North and South Anna, Pamunke} T 
and Chickahominy rivers and their branches. Several sawmills are in operation, 
also a large fertilizer factory. 

The climate and the health of the county will compare favorably with any 
portion of Eastern Virginia, and with churches and schools it is well supplied. 
Two high schools put up within the past two years. 

Hanover, the county seat, is located on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, 
in the northern part of the county. It is a small village containing several fraternal 
orders, church, public school, etc. 

Ashland, the principal town of the county, is a very artractive, growing town 
of 1,147 inhabitants, by census of 1900. It is situated seventeen miles north of 
Richmond, on the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad, with its 
numerous daily connecting trains, and, owing to its proximity to Richmond and 
easy communication, it has grown to be a favorite residence for business men 
of that city. The location is healthful, the society excellent, and it is an impor- 



144 

tant educational center, being the seat of Randolph-Macon College, one of the 
oldest and most noted schools in the State, besides a graded school of a high order; 
and while mainly a residential town, with many fine homes, it has an excellent 
trade and considerable business operations. These have been stimulated. the past 
year by the large demand for residences; all vacant property is now occupied 
by the numerous families that have moved in, and still the demand for residences 
continues. Progress is also noted in the enlargement of the Ashland Roller Mills 
and the addition thereto of latest improved machinery, and in the construction 
near by of grist, saw and planing mills, that are doing a flourishing business. The 
Henry Clay Inn is a handsome hotel and is an ornament to the town. 

There are many fine estates in this county, and the farm products aggregate 
a large amount, besides having taken high position for quality at former Richmond 
expositions. 

The people are intelligent, enterprising and hospitable, and extend a hearty 
welcome to immigrants and to others who come into their midst to locate and 
avail themselves of the splendid opportunities here presented to capital and 
enterprise. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 17,200. 

This sketch would be incomplete without reference to Hanover as having been 
the birthplace of both Patrick Henry and Henry Clay, two of the most eminent 
orators and statesmen this country has ever produced. 



HENRICO COUNTY. 

Henrico was one of the original shires into which Virginia was divided in 1634. 
It is situated at the head of tidewater, on the north side of the James river, which 
divides it from Chesterfield, and south of the Chickahominy, which separates it 
from Hanover. 

Its length is twenty-seven miles, mean breadth about eight miles, and it con- 
tains 273 square miles, the greater portion of which is in cultivation. The river 
lands are the most productive, best improved, and command the highest prices. 
The surface is undulating; the soil, varying from light loam to stiff clay, is sus- 
ceptible of a high state of cultivation. The lands upon the James river are generally 
alluvial, of a deep chocolate color, and are among the best wheat lands of the State. 

The city of Richmond divides the county into two nearly equal parts. The 
portion lying below Richmond, on tidewater, is less improved than that above 
the city; the lands are cheaper, population less dense, and, consequently, a better 
field is offered in this section for settlers with small means. 

Farm products are varied and extensive, consisting principally of corn, oats, 
wheat and tobacco; also barley and rye are raised to some extent. The grasses, 
clover and timothy, succeed well, and hay is an important crop. 

There are many large nurseries, orchards and vineyards in the county, and 
considerable attention is given to this line of industry. There are also a number 
of dairy and poultry farms adjacent to the city of Richmond, that do a large and 
successful business. Market-gardening and trucking are very extensively carried 
on, and rank as perhaps the most profitable industries of the county. This county 
with Richmond in the center, and four railroads traversing the county, has very 
superior market advantages. There is nothing that a farmer cannot sell at fair 
prices. 

Considerable attention is given to the introduction and rearing of blooded horses 
and cattle, and to the improvement of sheep for mutton and spring lambs. 

The county is traversed by two lines of the Chesapeake and Ohio, the York 
river division of the Southern, and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 
railways, furnishing to all sections convenient communication. 

The Seven Pines electric railway from Richmond to the National Cemetery, 
a distance of nine miles, affords accommodation to a thickly populated and growing 
section. 

The minerals are granite, marble, marl, potters clay and brick clay, greensand 



145 

and coal. The coal and granite are found above tidewater, in the upper part of 
the county. The latter is in great abundance and of very superior quality. 

Timbers are pine, oak, ash, maple, cedar, hickory, walnut, chestnut and cypress. 
These are quite limited in quantity, but the proximity of the coal and lumber 
yards of Richmond obviates, to a great extent, any inconvenience that might 
arise from the scarcity of fuel and timber. 

James river, on the southern border, and the Chickahominy on the northern, 
with their tributaries, furnish abundant water supply and drainage. The lower 
portion of the county enjoys the advantages afforded by water navigation on the 
James, and also its excellent shad, herring and sturgeon fisheries. 

The climate is mild and healthful, and water abundant and good. The only 
local disease is a mild type of intermittent fever, and that is chiefly confined to 
unfavorable localities. 

This county enjoys exceptional educational advantages, with its admirable 
public schools and its close proximity to the high schools and colleges of Richmond. 
Churches of all denominations are distributed over the county, and telephone 
and mail facilities are ample and convenient. The public roads are carefully 
looked after, and much improvement is shown in this very important particular. 
On account of location, social advantages, and in many other respects, some of 
which have been briefly alluded to, Henrico offers to home seekers superior advan- 
tages. Realizing the favorable opportunities presented, quite a large number of 
foreigners, chiefly Germans, have located in the county, which is indicated to some 
extent by the largely increased population, as shown below. 

Population, census of 1910, 23,437. 

Richmond, the county seat, the capital of the State, is situated on the border 
of the county, on the north bank of the James river, at the head of tidewater. 
It is a most attractive city, having extensive commerce, trade and manufactories, 
and is the chief market of the State. A full description of the city will appear 
in a separate sketch, under the head of cities. 

Barton Heights, suburban town of Richmond, is a growing and attractive 
place. 



HENRY COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1777 from Pittsylvania, and named in honor of Patrick 
Henry. It is situated on the southern border of the State, 180 miles southwest 
from Richmond. 

It is nearly a square of eighteen miles, and contains 425 square miles. Average 
price of improved lands, $20 per acre. Averaged assessed value, $5.25 per acre. 
Surface is undulating, and in parts, hilly and mountainous. One-third of the land 
is in cultivation. Soil, a red clay and fertile, producing a good crop of corn, oats, 
rye, wheat and tobacco. The last is the staple crop, over 3,000,000 pounds of 
the finest bright quality being raised annually. The numerous curing tobacco 
barns scattered over sections of the county give the appearance there of a contin- 
uous country village. The varieties of tobacco grown in Henry are noted for their 
superior quality, and quality considered, this is one of the finest tobacco counties 
in America. The soil is well adapted to the production of sweet potatoes, which 
yield largely under good cultivation. 

Grass does well in this soil, and numbers of horses, cattle and sheep of fine 
breeds are grown. One individual crop of hay last year was valued at $30,000. 

Fruits of the usual kinds do well, especially apples, peaches and grapes; also, 
nectarines apricots and figs have been grown. Dairy and garden products are 
varied and valuable. 

The county is traversed from north to south and from east to west by its fines 
of railway, the Danville and Western and the Norfolk and Western, which furnish 
ready means of communication to the markets, giving impetus to its agriculture 
and trade. 

Limestone, mica, asbestos, granite, soapstone and allanite are found in paying 



146 

qualities, and the iron ore is inexhaustible. There are also chalybeate and alum 
waters, hut undeveloped. 

This county compares favorably with other sections of the State in its timber 
supply, the most numerous and valuable species being pine, oak, poplar and 
hickory. 

Smith and Mayo rivers, with their numerous branches, afford an ample water 
supply and good water power. Numerous flour mills and sawmills, and an agri- 
cultural implement factory and leather factory are located on these waters. There 
are also a number of tobacco factories in different portions of the county that 
are doing a large and successful business. 

The climate is salubrious, with comparatively mild winters and pleasant sum- 
mers; health good, with no section of the State freer from malaria; water excellent 
with perennial streams of fine freestone water in all parts of the county; churches 
and schools numerous and convenient. 

Population, census of 1910, 18,459. 

Martinsville, the county seat, located on the Danville and Western railroad, 
at its intersection with the Winston-Salem division of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad, is an enterprising business town of 2,384 inhabitants, census of 1900. 
Its growth has been phenomenal since the completion of its several lines of rail- 
way. It has water works, electric plant, paved streets, iron foundries, machine 
shops, saw, corn and wheat mills, numerous churches, schools and fraternal orders, 
newspapers, two banks, one a national, and a large number of successful business 
houses of all kinds. But Martinsville's most important enterprise, however, is 
manufacturing tobacco and handling the leaf; indeed, it may be termed strictly 
a tobacco town, with its eighteen tobacco factories, employing over two thousand 
hands and manufacturing eight million pounds annually; and its two large ware- 
houses for the sale of leaf tobacco, at which six million pounds were sold last year. 
Its volume of business is indicated by the fact that the internal revenue tax on 
plug tobacco was much greater at this place last year than at any other place in 
the State, amounting here to $500,000. Situated in the heart of the county, and 
surrounded by a rich tobacco section, it possesses all the elements essential to 
prosperity and growth in this line. 

Ridgeway, situated on the Norfolk and Western railroad south of Martinsville, 
is a village of some importance, and has a population, census of 1900, of 332. 

Bassett is also a thriving place of 200 population, located on the Norfolk and 
Western railroad, eight miles west of Martinsville. It has a large furniture 
factory and a stave factory, employing seventy-five hands, and several large stores 
and one bank. 

This county is showing considerable progress, and with its rich lands, suited to 
all species of agriculture, from planting to stock raising, and with its favorable 
climate and location, it is destined to still greater growth, which will be largely 
accentuated by the building of the Mount Rogers and Eastern railroad now in 
contemplation. There are now four high schools in the county; numerous man- 
ufactories are springing up all over the county — American Furniture Company, 
Henry County Canning Company, at Martinsville; Pittsburg Mica Company, 
Ridgeway; Gravely & Gravely Woodworking Plant (locust and oak); G. F. 
Lester Hardwood Working Plant, and a number of smaller ones have been estab- 
lished within the past year or two. 



HIGHLAND COUNTY. 

Highland county, formed in 1847 from Bath and Pendleton counties, is north- 
west from Richmond about 150 miles. 

It is nearly a square of about twenty miles each way, and contain 407 square 
miles. The surface is mountainous with very fertile valleys between, the best 
of which will bring $100.00 per acre, and in some instances more. The mountains 
furnish fine range for young stock and sheep, upon which they grow and thrive 
well. About one-fourth of the land is in cultivation. The soil is mainly limestone. 



147 

Farm products are wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat, butter, honey, cheese, 
dried fruits and maple sugar, leading the State in the last product, and fourth in 
buckwheat. The western portion of the county produces abundant crops of 
grass and hay wherever cleared, blue grass not inferior to that of the best lands of 
Kentucky, being indigenous to this soil. The grazing quality of the land can hardly 
be surpassed in the State; some of the best cattle marketed east and north are 
fattened in this county and taken right off the grass, no corn feeding needed, and 
large numbers are sold each year, some for the export trade. It is also splendidly 
adapted to sheep, large numbers of which are grown. Apples, pears, peaches 
and all fruits suited to this latitude, can, with proper care and attention, be grown 
in this county. Agriculture, combined with stock growing and grazing, are the 
most profitable industries. 

There is no railroad in the county, though one or more have been chartered 
and are now in process of location. The nearest railroad station is Bartow, on 
the west side of the Alleghany mountains, twenty-three miles. A branch of the 
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad from Ronceverte to Winterburn, West Virginia, 
passes near the western border of Highland, and is of inestimable value to the 
transportation facilities of the people, both freight and passenger. 

Transportation is confined mainly to wagoning on the Staunton and Parkers- 
burg turnpike eastward to Staunton, and from southern part of the county to the 
Hot Springs and MiUsboro. 

Iron, coal and marble are known to exist in abundance in the county; and prob- 
ably other valuable minerals will be found when access to the market will justify 
more extended explorations. 

Another of the splendid natural resources of the county awaiting convenient 
transportation facilities is the timber, large quantities of the most valuable of which 
are to be found, such as walnut, cherry, oak, poplar, linden and other species. 

The numerous streams forming the head waters of the Potomac and the James 
rivers have their source in this elevated watershed of the two rivers, and furnish 
an abundant water supply and excellent water power, besides abounding in 
fish of the choicest fresh water varieties. 

Manufactories consist of two sash and door factories, which also dress large 
quantities of lumber for building and other purposes; several fine flouring mills, 
equipped with modern machinery, and a large number of sawmills. 

A fine mineral spring, which is gaining prominence on account of its curative 
properties and pleasant bathing, is situated in the southern part of the county. 

The climate is healthful and invigorating; delightful in summer, moderate in 
winter for the altitude, and free from destructive wind storms. Water in the greater 
part of the county is exceptionally fine. It is weU supplied with churches and 
schools — high school at Monterey. McDowell and Crabbcttom, and graded school 
at Doe HilL All the principal neighborhoods of the county have telephone com- 
munication with the outside world, and most of the postoffices have daily mail. 
There are two R. F. D. routes. Progress is being made along all fines, especially 
in agriculture, horticulture and stock raising; and farmers are supplying them- 
selves liberally with improved machinery for agricultural purposes. This county 
is gradually coming to the front. A great deal of residential and other building 
is steadily going on. The people are genial and hospitable, and there is no place 
where a living can be more easily made and where the people enjoy more the com- 
forts of life. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 5,317. 

Monterey, the county seat, is located in the central portion of the county, forty- 
six miles from Staunton and Parkersburg turnpike. It is a very pretty, busy 
little town of 246 inhabitants, and each year new buildings are being erected. 
It has an excellent, modern water and sewer system and an electric light plant. 
Two handsome churches, two banks, two steam factories for the manufacture 
of lumber for building purposes — sash, doors, etc. — and it contains, besides, two 
mills, seven stores, newspaper, excellent schools and fraternal orders, one of 
which, the Masonic, is now erecting a six-thousand-dollar temple. Monterey is 
becoming famed as a summer and health resort. It now has a new hotel of twenty- 
six rooms, and another is to be erected during the present year. 



148 

McDowell, nine miles southeast of Monterey, is a flourishing village of 136 
inhabitants, and shows considerable improvement in the last few years. It is 
in the midst of a fine tanbark section of the county, and the United States Leather 
Company has purchased a site for a steam tannery near the village. 

New Hampden is another village, nine miles from the courthouse, in Crabbottom, 
a famous blue grass valley, and Doe Hill, another, in the northern part of the 
county. 



ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY. 

This county was one of the original shires into which Virginia was divided 
in 1634. It is situated on the south side of the lower James river, ninety-eight 
miles southeast of Richmond, but only fifty miles air line, and extends from the 
James river, its northern boundary, to within eight miles of the North Carolina 
line. 

It is thirty-five miles long, with a mean width of about ten miles, and contains 
an area of 352 square miles. The surface is generally level, the soil from gray 
medium to light sandy loam, easily tilled and productive. 

Farm products are corn, oats, peanuts and potatoes. All the large and small 
fruits, melons and vegetables find here a soil and climate admirably adapted to 
their growth and perfection. Large quantities of these are shipped from this 
county to tbe northern cities. 

Poultry succeeds well, embracing everything from turkey to the guinea fowl; 
and game is abundant, the streams furnishing geese, ducks, swans and other 
water fowls; the swamps, sora, woodcock and snipe. The fish and oyster industry 
is large and valuable; large quantities of fish are taken in the spring and shipped 
to northern markets. Trucking is extensively engaged in, especially in the eastern 
portion of the county. This industry, its fisheries, and its peanut crop, constitute 
the most important productions of the county. Of stock raised, hogs are the 
most important, of which it produces a considerable number. The Smithfield 
hams have a world-wide reputation. 

Market advantages are exceptionally good, both by water and by rail. Water 
transportation is furnished by the Old Dominion Steamship Company, and by 
sailing vessels that ply in the numerous inland streams, almost to their very 
source. Railroads are the Norfolk and Western, the Seaboard Air Line, and the 
Atlantic Coast Line, which traverse almost all sections. These roads, together 
with the navigable waters, place all parts of the county within easy and quick 
communication with the markets of the whole country. 

This county has valuable and extensive deposits of marl, which is used widely, 
particularly for peanut culture and for clover. 

The timber supply is very good, consisting of the usual varieties. Considerable 
quantities of pine, cypress, juniper, gum, etc., are sold in the Norfolk and Ports- 
mouth markets. 

Ample drainage and water supply is afforded by the James river on the north- 
east border, the Blackwater on the southern, and their numerous tributaries flowing 
from the center; these afford a sufficiency of water power in every neighborhood 
for saw and grist mills. The climate is mild, salubrious, and not subject to rapid 
variations of temperature; health as good as any portion of tidewater; water 
abundant, from never-failing springs of freestone, fresh and pure. 

The county is well supplied with churches of the various denominations. One 
of the most interesting relics of the past, especially to the antiquarian, is St. 
Luke's church, which stands in the forest five miles from Smithfield. Built by 
European hands in 1632, it is perhaps the oldest church in Virginia, and said 
to be the oldest in America. Educational advantages are very favorable, con- 
sisting of two academies of high grade, and a good system of public schools. Tele- 
phone service is excellent, every village connecting, and many private telephones. 
Mail facilities are all that could be desired, and the financial condition is good. 
In progress and general advancement there has been marked improvement in 
this county within the last decade. 



149 

Population, census of 1910, 14,929. 

Isle of Wight, the county seat, is an inland country village of about fifty in- 
habitants, located near the center of the county, about eight miles from Windsor 
and seven from Smithfield; its nearest markets are Suffolk and Norfolk. Windsor 
station is also a town of some importance on the Norfolk and Western railroad. 

Smithfield is, however, the largest town and shipping point in the county. 
It is situated at the confluence of Cypress and Pagan creeks, four miles from 
James river, with navigable water to the town. It was an important trading 
post long before it was incorporated in 1752. It has two banks, fifty stores, facto- 
ries, churches, schools and all the industries that accompany a busy town. 

Smithfield is known first of all for its celebrated hams, which have been on the 
market over a hundred years, and now, each year, there are packed and shipped 
from here about ninety thousand of the finest hams that are known to the world, 
some of which are shipped to Europe. However, the main enterprise of the town 
is the peanut business, employing large numbers of hands at its factories, that 
are said to be the largest in the State, and probably in the world. There are, 
on an average, at least eighteen hundred bags of factory hand-picked and cleaned 
peanuts shipped from here daily, the business having increased so much in the 
past few years, that for five years there have been two daily steamers required 
to transport them from this place. 

Besides steamers, many sailing vessels are employed in the trade of this place, 
which embraces the shipment of a large amount of lumber, potatoes, fruit, eggs, 
flour, oysters and fish; also a large trade in cattle, sheep, farm products, truck, 
etc. 

During the past few years there were several new business houses erected, and 
at least fifty new residences, many of which are very handsome and costly; an 
ice plant, water works, and a large and well-equipped gas plant. 



JAMES CITY COUNTY. 

This county was one of the original shires into which Virginia was divided in 
1634; and here, at Jamestown, 1607, was the first settlement by the English in 
this country. The principal portion of the county lies along the north side of the 
lower James river, one portion extending across the peninsula to the York river 
on the northeast. It is distant from Richmond forty-five miles, and contains 
an area of 160 square miles. 

The surface is generally level, with comparatively a small per cent, in cultivation; 
soil silicious with a mixture of clay, and naturally fertile. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, oats, peanuts and potatoes. Grass succeeds 
fairly well, especially clover. All the fruits common to this latitude are success- 
fully cultivated; also melons, truck, etc. Trucking is extensively carried on, 
and is one of the profitable industries of the county. 

Game is abundant in field, forest and stream, and the sportsman could not 
find a more inviting country. Those of the rural population not engaged in the 
cultivation of the soil, are employed in oystering and fishing, and these latter 
may be considered among the most profitable industries of the county. Fish of 
all the valuable species are very abundant in all the waters, and from York river, 
oysters of fine size and quality are obtained. These industries give employment 
to a large number of men, and afford desirable articles of food for the inhabitants. 
In stock, sheep do very well. This county is the largest producer of Irish pota- 
toes on the Virginia peninsula. 

Market advantages, by 7"ail of water, are ample and convenient. Transportation 
facilities are very convenient to every section, with steam and sail vessels on the 
James and York rivers on either side, and the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad 
passing through the center from east to west. 

Marl is found of good quality and in large quantity, also fine brick and other 
clays. 

The timber of the county has been exhausted to a considerable extent, yet 
there still remains some valuable pine and a fair supply of hardwoods, such as 



150 

oak, hickory and maple. Sawmills and grist mills, in sufficient numbers to meet 
the demands, are distributed over the county; one barrel factory and one knitting 
mill. 

The climate is equable, the temperature being so equalized by surrounding 
large bodies of water that the extremes in summer and winter are avoided. Health 
is unsurpassed, and water supplied from artesian and ordinary wells is very good. 
Churches are numerous, representing the different Protestant denominations. 
Public schools are reasonably convenient to all parts of the county. Telephone 
service is ample, both local and long-distance, and mail facilities are good. Prog- 
ress and advancement has been general and rapid. The financial condition is 
excellent. There are four banks in the county. 

Population census of 1910, 3,624. 

Williamsburg, the county seat, is located on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, 
in the southern portion of the county, about midway between the York and 




SOJA BEANS JAMES CITY COUNTY. 

the James rivers; and is the oldest incorporated city in the State, having been 
settled in 1632. In 1698 the seat of government was moved from Jamestown 
to Williamsburg, and it continued the capital until 1779, when it was removed 
to Richmond. 

Williamsburg was once the center of the wealth, fashion and learning of the 
Old Dominion, the influence of which has left its impress, not only upon the 
inhabitants of the city and surrounding county, but upon the State at large, in 
the men of State and national reputation that have gone out from its ancient 
seat of learning. William and Mary College, which is located here, and is the oldest 
collegiate institute in the United States — with the exception of Harvard College — 
was founded in 1693, and dates from the time of England's sovereigns, William 
and Mary, who contributed to its endowment, and for whom it was named. This 
institution has been three times destroyed by fire, the last time by the Federal 
soldiers during the late war, but it was rebuilt by private subscription, and is still 
doing a noble work. The Eastern Lunatic Asylum, founded in 1773, is also located 
here. It is a State institution containing a large number of patients. There are 
numerous churches, the most noted of which is Bruton Parish church, which 
contains the fount from which Pocahontas was baptized; also several fraternal 
orders, a prosperous high school, and several public and private schools. Under 
the head of "Cities," will be found a more detailed account of this historic place. 

Other towns of the county are Toano, Norge, and Lightfoot. At the former a 
large flouring mill and a sawmill have been erected, and trucking is extensively 
carried on in the vicinity. 



151 

In this county are some noted points and relics of antiquity. Of the former, 
nothing possesses more interest than Jamestown, which was settled May 13, 1607, 
by Captain John Smith and his companions. Of this deeply interesting spot, 
little had remained but a churchyard and the ruins of an old church till recently, 
when in preparation for the Jamestown ter-centenary, a handsome new church 
and hotel have been built. Another curious relic of the past is the old stone 
house, on Ware creek, a tributary of the York, which is supposed to have been 
built by Captain John Smith. This county was the scene of two battles fought 
during the Revolution, the first June 25, 1781, at Spencer's Ordinary; the other 
near Green Spring, once the elegant home of Sir William Berkeley. It also felt 
the shock of battle at Fort Magruder during the late war, May 4 and 5, 1862. 



KING AND QUEEN COUNTY. 

King and Queen county was formed in 1691 from New Kent, during the reign 
of William and Mary, on account of which it takes its name. This is an eastern 
county, thirty miles northeast from Richmond; it lies between the Mattapony 
and Piankatank rivers, and is about sixty miles long by ten miles wide; area 
336 square miles. 

Surface along the river is level; the back county undulating and sometimes 
hilly; about thirty per cent, in cultivation; soil, gray and chocolate loam, and 
variable in quality and productiveness. Some lands are heavy and stiff; others 
light. The river lands, which constitute a large part of the area, are very productive 
and the extensive beds of marl found here furnish ready and permanent means 
of improvement. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye and hay. Some of the light lands 
produce profitable crops of peas, which are also used as a fallow crop. Some 
good tobacco is raised in the upper portion of the county, and its cultivation is 
gradually extending. Many of the farmers grow good crops of clover, timothy 
and orchard grass hay; and stock for domestic use is raised. Sheep husbandry 
is especially profitable. Fruits and vegetables are in great variety and abundance. 
The adaptability of the soil and convenient water transportation are rapidly 
developing fruit culture and truck for markets, especially Irish and sweet potatoes, 
to which the lands seem specially adapted. These may very profitably be classed 
as among the most profitable industries of the county. 

Fish also, principally shad and herring, constitute a large item in the production 
and exports of the county, and in the lower parts of the county, on York river, 
large quantities of the best of oysters are caught, and the business is so profitable 
as often to engage the attention of the people of that section to the neglect of their 
agricultural interests. 

There is only one railroad in the county, namely, the Southern to West Point; 
but this necessity is supplied by convenient and economical water transportation 
on its two rivers, the Mattapony and Piankatank, which also afford ample drainage 
and water supply. 

Timber is abundant, and consists of the usual varieties, such as pine, oak, hick- 
ory, walnut, beech, ash, poplar, etc. There is considerable trade in lumber, also 
in cord wood and railroad ties. Quite a lucrative business is carried on in sumac 
leaves, which find a ready market at good prices. 

The county is amply supplied with grain mills for all domestic purposes. 

Climate is mild, enabling the farmer to engage in outdoor work the year round: 
health good, with no disease peculiar to this locality except occasional chills and 
fever. The county is well supplied with public schools and numerous churches 
of the different denominations. 

Population, census of 1910, 9,576. 

King and Queen, the county seat, is located in the southern part of the county, 
near the Mattapony river. It is a small country village of about fifty inhabitants, 
and has a mill, church and several machine shops. Its nearest market is Richmond. 

There is much to recommend this county to the home seeker. Society is good; 



152 

the people are educated, refined and religious; and there are few sections in which 
the people live more easily and enjoy a higher standard of comfort, than here in 
the tidewater section of Virginia. The forests furnish game, the rivers the finest 
of fish, and the land nearly everything else necessary for comfortable subsistence. 

In addition to what has been said of the trucking interests of King and Queen 
county, it is worthy of note that there are in successful operation a cannery at 
Mantapike, and a pickle factory at Walkerton, besides several brineries in different 
parts of the county. Large quantities of tomatoes and English peas are produced 
for the former, as well as small fruits and berries; and for the latter, cucumbers, 
melons and gherkins. 

There are a number of villages through the length of the county, namely, New- 
town, Owenton, Indian Neck, Biscoe, Saint Stephens, Walkerton, Stevensville, 
Cumnor, Little Plymouth, Centerville, Buena Vista and Plainview. 

Telephone lines have been partially installed, and are now in successful opera- 
tion, with one or more other lines projected. 



KING GEORGE COUNTY. 

King George county was formed in 1720 from Richmond county. It lies in 
the northeastern portion of the State, forty-five miles from Richmond, and forms 
part of the peninsula known as the Northern Neck. It is bordered on the north 
by the Potomac river, which separates it from the State of Maryland; and on the 
south by the Rappahannock river, which forms the boundary between it and 
Caroline and Essex; with Westmoreland and the Potomac on the east, and Stafford 
on the west; and contains an area of 183 square miles. 

About fifty per cent, of the land is in cultivation. The surface is rolling; lands 
generally good, especially on the rivers, and easily cultivated. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, alfalfa, tobacco, rye, oats and potatoes, of 
which considerable quantities are produced. Commercial fertilizers are generally 
used. Fruits of all kinds yield and pay well in this section, small fruits, grapes 
and berries, receiving increased attention. The production of truck and vege- 
tables is yearly increasing, the rich river lands being especially adapted to their 
production. Stock succeeds finely, especially sheep; owing to the mild climate, 
very little provender is required for them. Poultry raising is a profitable industry. 

This county has no railroads, but this deficiency is amply supplied by its splendid 
water navigation. With the Potomac on its northern border, and the Rappa- 
hannock on its southern, it has a frontage of twenty miles on each river at conven- 
ient points, upon which steamers and sail vessels touch for freight and passengers 
to and from Fredericksburg, Alexandria, Washington, Norfolk and Baltimore. 
Besides the valuable transportation facilities afforded by these streams, they 
furnish large resources in fish, oysters and wild fowl, the first ranking as one of 
the most important industries of the county. A railroad from Colonial Beach 
to Fredericksburg is being contemplated, which will pass through King George. 

Marl of various kinds is found in abundance, and has been successfully used for 
many years as a fertilizer. 

A very small proportion of the county is in original timber, the greater portion 
yet remaining being on the water courses. 

There are grain mills sufficient for the needs of the people; mercantile establish- 
ments are numerous; good telephone service from Fredericksburg through the 
county; also a long-distance telephone; a large number of churches of the various 
denominations, and several tomato canneries; also a fish cannery. 

Population, census of 1910, 6,378. 

King George, the county seat, is a small village of about thirty inhabitants, 
located in the central part of the county. It has a school, churches and fraternal 
order. 

The means of plenteous, and even luxurious, living are abundant in this county, 
and, with its fine natural advantages, and low-priced lands, it offers splendid 



153 

inducements for investment or a home. There are some large and valuable 
estates in the county, and when for sale, they can be bought for much less than 
their intrinsic value. 



KING WILLIAM COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1701 from King and Queen, and is situated twenty 
miles northeast from Richmond, on a narrow peninsula between the Mattapony 
and Pamunkey rivers, which unite at West Point to form the York. It is thirty 
miles long with an average of about eight miles in width, and contains an area of 
246 square miles. 

The lands are now being offered at a very low price, which will not continue 
any great length of time, as present prices are attracting investors from the North 
and West. 

The surface is level on the rivers; otherwise rolling. About forty per cent, 
of the land is under cultivation; the soil generally light chocolate, with clay 
subsoil, and very productive, especially on and near the rivers. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, "tobacco, oats, peanuts, peas, potatoes, etc. 
Clover, timothy, millet, alfalfa and other hay crops do well, and hay may be con- 
sidered one of the staple products of the county. Fruits of all varieties are grown, 
and melons and early vegetables are quite profitable. Trucking, especially in 
the lower end of the county, is one of its chief occupations, and is found very 
profitable, owing to easy and quick marketing facilities. 

In this portion of the county the fish and oyster industry is a very important 
and profitable one. All the choice varieties of fish, such as shad, herring, rock, 
trout, etc., are supplied by the Mattapony and Pamunkey rivers, which bound 
two sides of the county. Water fowls are also abundant; and poultry does well 
and is profitable, especially for the early market. Stock raising is very success- 
fully engaged in on the large farms, especially those on the Mattapony and Pamun- 
key rivers, which are well adapted to this industry. 

This county has good shipping facilities and market advantages, by rail or 
water, with the York river branch of the Southern railway, and with steamers 
and sail vessels traversing both rivers. Kegular lines ply between West Point 
and Baltimore and Norfolk, by way of York river. 

Large deposits of marl are found in many sections, which have been used with 
much benefit to the soil. The greensand along the Pamunkey is one of nature's 
best restorers, producing splendid results wherever applied, and large quantities 
are shipped on the river. 

About ten per cent, of the area is in original timber, and consists of yellow 
pine, oak, hickory, poplar, chestnut, beech, ash and some walnut. It is utilized 
for cord wood, for staves and for lumber. 

Abundant water and drainage are furnished by the Mattapony and Pamunkey 
and their tributaries. Manufactories located in different parts of the county 
are corn and flour mills, sawmills, planing mills, veneering mills, pickling industries. 
Several large oyster houses are found here, and also a large banking company. 
Most of the above are new enterprises recently established. 

The climate is mild in winter and pleasant in summer; the health of the county 
will compare favorably with other sections of the State; water is good and abund- 
ant; churches numerous and of nearly all denominations; schools are conven- 
iently situated all over the county, and in successful operation; county roads 
are being rapidly improved with road machinery, and a systematic plan of work- 
ing; telephone service is good, both local and long distance; mail facilities ample; 
taxes are light and assessments low; financial condition excellent, with healthy 
surplus; and in farm products and industries this county is exhibiting consider- 
able progress. 

Population, census of 1910, 8,547. 

King William, the county seat, is twenty-seven miles northeast from Richmond, 



155 

and two miles from the Mattapony river. Is is a small country village, with a 
public school and church. 

The chief town of the county is West Point, situated at the extreme southeast 
portion of the county, at the confluence of the Mattapony and the Pamunkey, 
and at the terminus of the York river division of the Southern railway. It is an 
enterprising town of 1,307 inhabitants, census of 1900, and located on deep water 
navigation at the head of York river, has the best of harbors, with water of suffi- 
cient depth for the largest ocean steamers, and with extensive wharves, where 
ships are regularly loaded with cotton, flour, lumber, etc., for Europe and South 
America. There are also several large lines of steamers from this point to New 
York, Boston and Baltimore, and a weekly line to the head of navigation on the 
Mattapony river. West Point suffered a considerable loss last fall in the burning 
of the cellulose factory located at that place; but in spite of this misfortune it has 
gone steadily forward, and is now on a firmer basis than it has been for many 
years. The large pickling establishment and the woodworking factory located 
here are actively employed; and the oyster business is constantly increasing. 
Improvements have been going on at Beach Park, and much will be done to make 
it an attractive summer resort. There is not a vacant house in the town for rent, 
though there is a great demand for them. 



LANCASTER COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1651 from Northumberland, and is located in the 
northeastern part of the State, on the north bank of the Rappahannock river, 
and on the Chesapeake bay, fifty miles from Norfolk, and sixty miles, air line, 
from Richmond. 

It contains an area of 137 square miles — 80,486 acres, 885 farms. Average 
size farms, sixty acres. 

Surface is mostly level, but in some parts rolling; soil a sandy loam, with clay 
subsoil, and is easily improved with clover and peas and the judicious use of 
fertilizers. Farm products are wheat, corn, oats, peas, potatoes, varied trucks 
and grasses, of which trucking is the most important and profitable, owing to 
cheap transportation rates; but some of the lands produce fine crops of corn and 
wheat. Fruits of all kinds are abundant, and early fruits and berries are especially 
profitable, owing to proximity to Baltimore, Washington and other markets. 
The most important source of profit and support to the people is the fish and 
oyster interest, and this industry is attracting to the county considerable numbers 
of settlers froni other counties of the State, and from other States. As one of the 
counties of that isolated peninsula known as the Northern Neck of Virginia, 
there are no railroads; but water transportation facilities are excellent and cheap, 
with steamers plying daily between Baltimore, Norfolk and Fredericksburg, 
which touch at the various landings in the county. In recent years the introduc- 
tion of naphtha and gasoline boats has brought this section into closer communi- 
cation with the rest of the State, and made mail facilities among the best. 

Live stock of the county consist of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, all of which 
are raised to some extent; but poultry raising is perhaps attracting most atten- 
tion on account of easy access to market and the great demand for eggs in the 
northern markets. Wild water-fowls and rabbits are also shipped in great quan- 
tities from this section. 

Timbers are oak, hickory, chestnut, dogwood, poplar, pine and holly, of which 
a considerable amount is snipped; also a large quantity of cordwood. 

Ample water supply and drainage are furnished by the numerous creeks, trib- 
utaries of the Rappahannock river and Chesapeake bay, from the interior of the 
county. Manufactories and enterprises are a large number of grist mills, saw- 
mills, fruit and vegetable canneries, fish factories, manufacturing guano and 
oil, and numerous oyster packers, shipping the raw oysters on ice to Northern and 
Western cities. 

The climate is mild, health good; the county remarkably free of low and swampy 



157 

places; water clear and pure, from artesian wells, ordinary wells and springs; 
churches are numerous and conveniently located; educational advantages consist 
of public schools, and the Chesapeake Academy, a large preparatory school of 
high curriculum. Telephone facilities are ample, connecting with telegraph 
at Fredericksburg; and financial condition of the county excellent. In progress 
and general advancement conditions are very encouraging. 

Population, census of 1910, 9,752. 

Lancaster, the county seat, is located in the northern part of the county. It has 
a population of about seventy-five, a church, and a public and private school. 

Other towns are Whealton, in the western end of the county; Kilmarnock, 
in the central part; and Irvington and Whitestone near the mouth of the Rappa- 
hannock. Irvington has a population of 1,100, the largest town between Fred- 
ericksburg and the Chesapeake bay. Here are located an academy, churches, 
public schools, canneries, fish factory, numerous oyster houses, a national bank, 
home, office of a fire association, and the only newspaper in that section, The 
Virginia Citizen. 



LEE COUNTY. 



This county was formed in 1792 from Russell and named in honor of Henry 
Lee, then Governor of Virginia. It lies on the southeastern slope of the Cumberland 
mountains, in the extreme southwest corner of the State, 450 miles from Richmond, 
having Kentucky on the north and west, Tennessee on the south, Scott and Wise 
counties on the east, and is marked at its extreme western limit by the widely 
known Cumberland Gap. 

The county is sixty miles in length, by seventeen in breadth, and contains 
an area of 433 square miles. Undeveloped lands may be had from $10 to $15 
per acre. Averaged assessed value $4 per acre. 

The surface is hilly, and some parts mountainous, especially the western part, 
but the mountains are generally rich to the top. The soil is limestone and sand- 
stone, and while a large proportion of the county is very fertile and productive, 
the two principal valleys in the eastern part are especially noted in this respect. 
About one-half of the area of the county is in cultivation, and produces abundant 
crops of corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, hay, etc. Some attention is also paid 
to the cultivation of tobacco of fine grades. Average yield of corn, twenty-five 
bushels per acre; best crops are from fifty to seventy-five bushels per acre. Wheat 
yields six to thirty bushels per acre. 

This is a fine grass county for both the cultivated grasses and the indigenous 
blue grass, especially in the eastern portion. The broad and beautiful valleys 
in this section which have been for many years cultivated in corn, have been prin- 
cipally converted into grazing lands; and the county is now rapidly coming to 
the front in the production of horses, sheep and cattle, having an annual surplus 
of 6,000 sheep and 5,000 cattle, the great proportion being stock cattle. This 
county has also ranked among the first in the State in the production of hogs. 
Considerable attention is being paid to the cultivation of fruit, having at least 
2,500 acres in orchards of the various varieties. Fruit growing and stock raising 
rank as the most profitable industries of the county. 

The Louisville and Nashville railroad extends through the entire length of the 
county, affording excellent railroad facitities. The Virginia and Southwestern, 
also, extends through a small portion of the county. 

Lee is well watered by Powell's river and its tributaries. In the southeastern and 
eastern corners, Black Water and Wild Cat creeks flow through small sections of the 
county. These streams offer a large number of fine water powers, affording from 
60 to 250 cubic feet of water per second. Powell's river towards its lower end, in 
the county, is navigable through the winter months by bateaux, and furnishes 
transportation for large quantities of grain and forest products, 50,000 bushels 
of wheat being shipped in this way during the winter season. This method of 
transportation, however, has been largely superseded by railroads. 

This county is rich in minerals, such as iron, coal, lead, zinc, limestone, barytes, 



158 

kaolin, but the most important are the iron and coal, which with proper devel- 
opment, will be a source of vast wealth to the county. To an almost unlimited 
extent of fossil red iron ores, are added extensive deposits of brown ores and 
of coals. It contains some of the finest known veins of bituminous, splint and 
cannel coal. There are also mineral waters — chalybeate, white, red and black 
sulphur — but not important to any great extent. 

This county is not surpassed in the extent of its timber products, and with 
increased transportation facilities, this will form one of its most important resources. 
There are large quantities of oak, poplar, walnut, cherry, ash, cedar, beech, chest- 
nut, hickory, dogwood, maple, etc. The seemingly boundless forests stretch 
unbroken for miles. The lower portion of the county is noted for the extent and 
size of its cedar timber. Manufactories consist of sawmills and four fine flouring 
mills. 

Some of the caves of this county, especially in the great limestone belt of Pow- 
ell's Valley, are worthy of notice, as among the most marvelous in the world for 
their great extent and wonderful beauty. One, King Solomon's, a few miles 
from Jonesville, the county seat, is said to rival the Mammoth Cave in extent, 
and to excel the Luray in gorgeous splendor of decoration. 

Climate is mild; summers not oppressive, winters not severe; health, excellent; 
water the best, freestone and limestone. It is well supplied with churches of the 
various denominations. Educational advantages consist of a large number of 
public free schools, which run six months in the year, and several high schools. 
The county is almost a network of telephone lines, and mail facilities are good. 
Progress and general advancement in the county is shown in the steady improve- 
ment of the lands and buildings and in improved methods of farming, with intro- 
duction of farm machinery. Financial conditions also are favorable, the county 
being out of debt with some surplus. 

Population census of 1910, 23,840. 

Nature has left nothing undone to stamp the area covered by Lee county as 
one of its most favored localities; and, with all its splendid natural advantages, 
it must excite surprise that no more strenuous efforts have been made heretofore 
to open them up to commerce. Could it now have the number of furnaces and 
mining and timbering stations of which it is capable, it would rank as one of the 
foremost counties west of the Blue Ridge, and the only conditions wanting are 
capital, enterprise and accessibility to market. * 

Jonesville, the county seat, is a thriving village of six hundred inhabitants, 
located about the middle of the county, within four miles of Ben Hur station on 
the Louisville and Nashville railroad, and is a center of trade for the valuable 
farming sections which surround it; it has numerous stores of general merchan- 
dise, saw and planing mills, flour mills, tannery and buggy factory. 

Pennington Gap, a new town, is the largest town of the county; population 
about 1,000. 



LOUDOUN COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1757 from Fairfax. It is the northernmost of the 
Piedmont counties, 100 miles north of Richmond, and lies on the eastern slope 
of the Blue Ridge mountains. 

It contains an area of 519 square miles. Average size farms 160 acres. Lou- 
doun's real estate value exceeds that of almost any county in the State, aggre- 
gating about $7,000,000. The surface is varied, with mountains, gently sloping 
hills and broad valleys. About sixty per cent, of the land is under cultivation, 
of which the greater part is exceedingly fertile; soil, clay and loam, with some 



Farm products are wheat, corn, rye, oats, hay, etc. Average yield of wheat 
is about twenty bushels, and of corn, thirty-five bushels per acre; though fifty 
and sixty bushels of the latter are not an unusual yield. This county takes first 
rank in the production of corn, and third in amount of wheat and grass raised 
in the State. Bluegrass also is indigenous here, rivaling the best bluegrass lands 
of Kentucky. 



159 

Much attention is paid to improved breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs, 
and large numbers of sheep and cattle are grazed annually. This county stands 
first in its wool clip, and third in the number of horses raised, of which there are 
many blooded, with fine records. Loudoun ranks first in the number of her milch 
cows, and the amount of butter made, and large quantities of milk and cream are 
shipped daily to Washington. 

Fruits of the various kinds grow in great abundance, and bring heavy returns 
when properly attended to. The county also ranks high in this industry. This 
is strictly an agricultural county, grain and stock raising being the chief interests, 
and it is probably not exceeded in the State for good farming. Markets are Balti- 
more, Washington, Georgetown and Alexandria, which are convenient and ac- 
cessible. 

The Washington and Ohio division of the Southern railway traverses the central 
portion of the county from east to west, and furnishes an outlet for the products 
of this splendid county. 

Minerals are iron, copper, soapstone, hydraulic lime and marble; the latter, 
especially, is very fine. Timber is abundant, consisting principally of oak, hickory, 
walnut and chestnut. 

This county is well watered by the Potomac, which skirts its entire northern 
border, and its numerous tributaries, which also furnish fine water-power, if 
properly utilized. Manufactories consist principally of flour mills and some wood- 
working industries. Several flour mills have been erected recently. 

The climate is pleasant and rather more genial than other sections of the same 
latitude, being on the eastern and southern slope of the Blue Ridge and protected 
by it. The health of the county is good, and the water, from springs and wells 
of excellent quality and abundant. Farm lands are exceedingly well watered, 
it being a rare occurrence that a farm is found which has not running water in 
every field. Churches of the various denominations are numerous; a good public 
school system exists, and some higher grade schools; mail facilities are ample, 
and all parts of the county connected by telephone; public roads and turnpikes 
are excellent, and the financial condition of the county very favorable. 

Population, census of 1910, 21,167. 

Progress in Loudoun for several years has been marked. Ileal estate values 
have noticeably advanced. There are six banks in the county. Farms have been 
purchased by newcomers from Southwest Virginia, New York and other sections. 
This is one of the most beautiful, fertile portions of the State, with thrifty and 
prosperous farmers, many of them wealthy. 

Leesburg, the county seat, is a thriving town of 2,000 inhabitants, located 
on the Washington and Ohio division of the Southern railway, thirty-eight miles 
from Alexandria and forty-one miles from Washington City. It has paved streets, 
water works and electric lights, numerous churches and fraternal orders, flour 
mills, public schools, newspapers and four strong banks, the latter, especially, 
is a strong and progressive feature of the town. 

Another strong banking institution is located at Purcellville, this county, with 
a handsome bank building. This town and Bluemont have been particularly 
prosperous, a number of new business houses and residences having been erected 
in each. 



LOUISA COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1742 from Hanover. It is situated in Middle Virginia, 
in what is known as the Piedmont section, forty miles northwest from Richmond. 

It is thirty miles long and about eighteen miles wide, and contains an area 
of 529 square miles. The lands, in the main, are yet in the hands of the ante- 
bellum-owners, or their descendants, and prospective purchasers have not had a 
chance to purchase the best lands. When these lands come into market, as they 
are gradually doing, the price will advance, but now small farms or unimproved 
lands sell very cheap, and on easy terms. 

The surface is gently undulating, and about one-half of the land is under culti- 



161 

vation. The soil is generally a granite or gray soil, with clay subsoil, and of good 
quality. In the western part of the county the lands are very fertile, and embrace 
the noted Green Springs district, supposed to be the bed of an ancient lake. 
Along the borders of the streams are many wide and fertile flats, while on the 
uplands may be found almost every variety and quality of soil. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, oats, tobacco, potatoes, hay, etc., all of which 
are very successfully produced; especially tobacco, which is the staple crop of 
the county, over 2,000,000 pounds being produced annually, and of a grade known 
far and wide as the best type of shipping and manufacturing tobacco. Violet- 
growing is proving to be a profitable horticultural interest; in recent years the 
soil has been found to be especially adapted to this industry, and especially is 
this true of the Green Springs section. Fruits of every variety are successfully 
grown, especially small fruits, grapes, berries and melons. 

The convenience of the Richmond market renders dairying and poultry raising 
sources of considerable profit to the people. Stock raising and grazing are spe- 
cialties with some of the farmers, and the western, or Green Springs section, is also 
specially adapted to this industry. 

Railroad facilities are ample, and are furnished by the Chesapeake and Ohio, 
which extends almost through the entire length of the county, and the Southern, 
skirting the western end. These bring the county into convenient communica- 
tion with Richmond City, its principal market, and with the country north and 
west. 

This county is rich in minerals, such as gold, copper, iron, mica, soapstone, 
ochre and pyrites. Gold has been mined with varying success, and often profitably. 
A mica vein has also been worked, and extensive beds of iron ore he contiguous 
to the Chesapeake and Ohio railway. The three sulphur or pyrites mines, near 
Mineral, in this county, are worked more extensively than any other mines of 
the sort in the United States, employing large numbers of men. 

Timber consists of oak, pine, poplar, hickory, walnut, maple, ash; and second 
growth pine abounds to a considerable extent. 

The county is well watered by the North and South Anna rivers, and their 
tributaries, which also furnish abundant water power. Good flour and corn 
mills are located in every neighborhood. Public spirit and enterprise is shown 
in the erection of three splendid iron bridges over the rivers. 

There are numerous fine residences and a tobacco factory. The climate is 
delightful, having the milder Piedmont, blended with the pleasant climate of 
Midland Virginia. Health there can hardly be better. The water is delightful 
and abundant, from springs and wells. Churches are numerous, representing all 
denominations; no neighborhood is without exceptional privileges in this respect. 
Facilities for a thorough education in every branch of study are ample in this county. 
In addition to a good public free school system, there are at several points in the 
county excellent high schools, where children from any section of the county 
may enjoy good educational advantages free of charge. Mail facilities and tele- 
phone service are ample, a good telephone line connecting with all parts of the State. 
The county roads are receiving extra attention, and marked improvement is being 
made in this respect. The financial condition of the county is excellent. The 
people are public-spirited, refined, sociable and kind, vying with one another in 
hospitality, and "the latch-string hangs on the outside" to those who will come 
and partake of their hospitality and home comforts. These and other advantages, 
such as its great agricultural and mining resources, challenge comparison with 
other sections of the State in presenting attractions to those in quest of a perma- 
nent home. 

Population, census of 1910, 16,578. 

Louisa, the county seat, is situated on the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio 
railway sixty-two miles west of Richmond, with which it has communication 
both ways by three daily passenger trains. It has several mills, churches, frater- 
nal orders, a graded public school, a bank, and a newspaper, and is a place of 
considerable business. 

There are several smaller towns, including Mineral, a new place, which has a 
good bank, and is growing. 



162 



LUNENBURG COUNTY. 



Lunenburg was formed in 1746 and is a southern county, lying near the North 
Carolina border, fifty-one miles southwest of Richmond, and 125 miles west of 
Norfolk. It is thirty miles long, with an average width of fifteen miles, and 
contains an area of four hundred and seventy-one square miles. 

Lunenburg county, one of the richest and most fertile counties of the State, 
is probably the least known. Its rich and virgin soil, its vast forest of timber 
have long lain dormant, awaiting the shrill whistle of the locomotive and the 
quickening touch of progress to awaken them to life, and to bring wealth, not only 
to the capitalist, but also to the farmer and small investor. The recent opening 
up of the Virginian railway, which traverses the county from end to end, has sup- 
plied this long-felt want, and the county bids fair to be, as it deserves to be, on ac- 
count of its natural wealth and resources, one of the foremost counties of the 
State. Situated on the Virginian railway, 125 miles from Norfolk, easy and cheap 
transportation for its products are afforded to the markets of the world. 

The surface of the county is rolling, with a mean elevation of from 50 to 150 
feet above the sea level, rising at points to 580 feet. The soil is a grayish slate, 
easily tiUed; the farm products are wheat, corn, oats, grass, cotton and tobacco. 
All these are raised in great abundance and are profitable, but tobacco, both 
heavy, shipping and light leaf, is the principal crop, and about three million 
pounds are raised annually in the county. Cattle raising could be made a profitable 
industry, and sheep do well in this county; there is ample water power here, and 
there are four or five large water mills in the county. 

There are in the county five or six large planing mills, used for dressing lumber, 
and these are fed by numerous smaller mills located at different points. The 
developing of timber is now one of the main industries, and probably two million 
feet are shipped out monthly. There are three banks in the county, all of which 
do a good substantial business, and are showing a rapid increase in business. Good 
schools, which are being rapidly improved, afford an easy means for a good edu- 
cation. There are numerous churches of the Protestant denominations scattered 
all over the county. The health of the county is good; the people kind and hospi- 
table. The towns of Victoria and Kenbridge on the Virginian railway, each less 
than five years old, now have a population of 1,000 and 500, respectively, and 
are rapidly growing. A most excellent whetstone is found in the county, large 
deposits of this mineral are within easy access of the railroad, and could be made 
valuable property. The county is well watered and drained by the Nottoway 
and Meherrin rivers on the northern and southern boundaries, respectively, and 
their numerous tributaries, which penetrate to the very center of the county. 
Population 12,780, census 1910. 



MADISON COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1792 from Culpeper, and lies on the east side of the 
Blue Pudge mountains, in the northern part of the State, sixty-five miles north- 
west of Richmond. On the northwest is Page, from which it is separated by the 
Blue Ridge mountains; on the north, Rappahannock; Culpeper on the east; 
Orange on the southeast; Greene on the southwest, the Rapidan river forming the 
dividing line. 

It contains an area of 336 square miles; 1,200 farms; average size of farms, 
140 acres; assessed value, $6.00 per acre. About one-third of the area is in cul- 
tivation. 

The surface is rolling; the soil varies from loam, sand and slate, to red clay, 
and is very productive, especially on the rivers, which embrace extensive and 
fertile bottoms. This is an excellent grass and grain producing county, and the 
slopes of the mountains are especially adapted to tobacco, potatoes, etc. 

Owing to its exemption from late frosts, this section is especially adapted to 
fruit culture, and the pippin and other valuable apples do well, with proper atten- 
tion. Grape culture is also a profitable industry, especially in the section border- 



163 

ing on Orange, the character and quality of the soil here being peculiarly favorable 
to this fruit. Vegetables do well, and the dairy product is considerable. 

Nearest railroads are the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Southern, and the Norfolk 
and Western; near the northern, eastern and western boundaries, respectively. 

Minerals are iron, copper, ochre and graphite, but none have been fully devel- 
oped. Timbers are chestnut, oak, pine, walnut, hickory, ash, etc. 

The county is watered by the Rapidan, Robertson and Conway rivers and 
their tributaries. Numerous flouring and grist mills, furniture factories, two 
stove factories, one chicken coop factoiy, canneries, a dairy and a cheese factory 
embrace the most important industrial enterprises of the county. 

The Blue Ridge mountains, which extend along the entire northwest border, 
are 3,860 feet above sea level at the highest point. The top and slopes furnish 
excellent grazing when cleared, and cattle there thrive well, owing to lower tem- 
perature and freedom from insect annoyance. 

It has macadamized and other roads. 

There are numerous churches of different denominations, distributed well over 
the county. The Woodbury Forest High School, the Warwick High School, 
Locust Dale Academy, the Oak Park Female Institute, and the Rock Springs 
Female Institute, all excellent schools, afford magnificent educational advantages. 

Population, census of 1910, 10,055. 

Madison, the county seat and principal town, occupies an elevated position in 
the center of the county, and commands a picturesque view of the surrounding 
country. It has a population of about five hundred, and is a thriving, busy town, 
with graded streets, churches, public schools, newspaper, Masonic lodge and one 
bank. 



MATHEWS COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1790 from Gloucester, and is one of the extreme 
eastern counties of the State, lying on the Chesapeake bay, which bounds it on 
the east with Mobjack bay, and North river on the south and west, a small portion 
of Gloucester on the west, and Piankatank river on the north, separating it from 
Middlesex, thus forming a peninsula, united to the mainland by a very narrow 
neck of county. It is twenty miles long and nine miles across at the widest point, 
and contains an area of ninety- two square miles. 

Average size of farms is forty acres. Taking all the advantages of locality, 
soil and climate into consideration, land is cheap and desirable, selling at from 
$10 to $30 per acre. That, however, lying immediately on the water courses, is 
very valuable, selling at from $20 to $110 per acre, if it has an oyster shore attached 
to it. Average price of improved farm lands is about $20 per acre, with an average 
assessed value of $10 per acre. 

The surface is level, soil a sandy loam, easily cultivated and responding readily 
to fertilizers. Farm products are corn, wheat, rye and oats. Fruits do well, 
but is particularly adapted to the raising of truck and vegetables. 

Poultry raising for the Northern markets is profitable, and water and marsh 
birds are abundant; but much the most important and profitable products of the 
county are its fish and oysters, which are a source of large revenue, and furnish 
employment for very many of its inhabitants. It ranks as among the first counties 
of the State in the yield of its fisheries, and is also renowned for their superior 
excellence. Several canning factories are being operated successfully. 

The nearest railroad station is West Point, in King William county, distant 
about thirty miles, but this deficiency is amply supplied by daily steamers from 
Norfolk and other seaboard cities. 

Shell marl is found in many localities, and utilized to some extent; also a species 
of peat, well adapted to composting, is found in the ravines. Principal timbers 
are pine and oak. 

In addition to the surrounding waters mentioned, the East river, extending 
through the central part of the county, divides it into two nearly equal parts, 
called East and West Mathews. 



164 

Churches of the various denominations are conveniently located. Owing to 
prevalence of salt-water breezes, the health is good, and this is one of the most 
thickly settled counties in the State. 

Population, census of 1910, 8,972. 

Mathews, the county seat, is situated in the eastern part of the county, on a 
branch of the East river, and is a town of considerable importance, having a pop- 
ulation of about three hundred, a daily mail, graded streets, the usual county 
buildings, stores, etc. 

Hicks Wharf is the next town in importance. 



MECKLENBURG COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1764 from Lunenburg, and is on the southern border 
of the State, ninety miles southwest from Richmond. It has an average length 
of thirty-six miles and a width of twenty miles, and contains an area of 640 square 
miles; about one-third of the lands in cultivation. 

Surface is generally undulating; average elevation above sea level about five 
hundred feet; the soil variable, fight sandy to stiff clay, easily cultivated, and 
readily responding to good treatment; along the valleys of the streams it is alluvial 
and exceedingly fertile. 

Farm products are tobacco, peanuts, wheat, corn, oats, cotton and hay. This 
county ranks third in the State in the yield of tobacco, which is three and a half 
million pounds annually, and of fine grade. Tfie various grasses, clover, alfalfa, 
orchard grass, timothy, etc., grow luxuriantly on good soils. Fruits are apples, 
peaches, pears, apricots, cherries, grapes, melons and berries of all kinds, which 
are produced in abundance, large areas being appropriated to orchards and to 
grape culture. Irish and sweet potatoes, and all the garden vegetables can be 
abundantly grown; also poultry does well in this section, and wild game is abund- 
ant. Tobacco being the leading crop of the county, the farmers have been so 
absorbed in its culture as to neglect other farm industries; but an interest has 
recently been awakened in stock raising, and, owing to the mild climate and 
consequent small cost of raising stock, this industry is destined to assume large 
and increasing proportions. 

The county is splendidly supplied with railroad facilities. Three railroads — 
the Seaboard Air Line, the Atlantic and Danville, and the Richmond and Danville 
branches of the Southern railway traverse all sections of the county, affording 
ready access to nearest markets, and putting the county in close touch with the 
principal cities of the eastern part of the State. 

Water navigation is now by bateaux but will eventually be by steamers, on 
Roanoke, Dan and Staunton rivers; and these streams, with the Meherrin river 
on the northern border, and their innumerable tributaries, render this one of the 
finest watered counties in the State, and also afford many eligible sites for mills 
and manufactories. 

In some portions of the county gold, copper, granite, soapstone and kaolin 
exist, but are undeveloped. Mineral waters are abundant and noted, especially 
the celebrated Buffalo Lithia Springs, on the southern border of the county, whose 
waters are famous the world over for their potential health-producing and medicinal 
properties. At Chase City, Clarksville and Jeffress, near South Hill, there are also 
mineral waters noted for their medicinal ingredients and adaption to a wide range 
of diseases. 

Timbers are oak, hickory and pine, principally; but these are considerably 
culled, although there still exists some fine bodies of timber of original growth; 
but the greater proportion of the timber of the county is second growth, which 
springs up spontaneously on lands left out of cultivation. A large lumber com- 
pany of New Jersey has recently bought timber lands in this county, and is pre- 
paring to establish immense lumber plants for its manufacture. Sawmills are in 
nearly every neighborhood, and several wagon and buggy factories are in operation. 

The climate is delightful, there being little cold weather and slight fall of snow, 



165 



while the heat of summer is usually tempered by gentle breezes. Pure, clear 
water from springs, or from wells as good as from the natural springs, is every- 
where abundant, and largely mineral. Health of the county is excellent; indeed, 
the county is noted for its general healthfulness and longevity of its people. 

Churches of the various denominations are numerous, every section of the county 
being supplied in this respect; and a very large proportion of the population are 
members of some denomination. Educational advantages are excellent, graded 
and public schools being so situated as to make them accessible to every neighbor- 
hood. Southside Academy, located at Chase City, is an incorporated institution, 
and is well equipped with accomplished instructors to furnish the higher educational 
advantages. 

Telephone service is ample and efficient; Chase City, Clarksville and Boydton 
are connected with the North Carolina system. There are a large number of post- 




A MODERN BARN IN EAST VIRGINIA. 



offices and a number of rural free delivery routes in the county; and mail communi- 
cation and facilities in every locality are all that could be desired. Public roads 
intersect all sections, and are kept in fairly good condition. 

There has been considerable progress in this county on the line of small manu- 
facturing industries and improved methods of farming. Financial condition of 
the county is good; rate of taxation low; and lands, with few exceptions, free of 
encumbrance. The people of the county are moral, law-abiding and noted for 
their hospitalitj^. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 28,956. 

Boydton, the county seat, located near the center of the county, on the Atlantic 
and Danville branch of the Southern railway, and six miles from the line of the 
Richmond and Mecklenburg railroad, is a thriving town in the center of a rapidly 
growing country. 

The greatest impetus given to the business interest of Boydton is its tobacco 
trade. Three large prizeries have recently been erected, and within the past year 



166 

or two the sales of tobacco have increased threefold, so that it is now one of the 
chief industries of the town. Its two banks do jointly a business of a half million 
dollars. A large lumber business is conducted here, and the business extends 
into adjoining counties in this State and North Carolina, and has a large trade 
in the North. It has, besides the public schools, a splendid graded school, where 
young men can be prepared for a college or business course; also numerous churches 
several newspapers and sawmills and grist mills. 

Chase City is a town of considerable importance, situated in the northwestern 
portion of the county, on the Keysville and Durham branch of the Southern 
railway, three and a half horns' ride from Richmond. It has a new and progressive 
population, and although a comparatively new town, it is already a rival of many 
older towns in all departments of business. It contains three banks. Its sales 
of leaf tobacco exceed previous years about forty per cent., over 3,000,000 pounds 
being sold. Its postomce has been advanced to a Presidential appointment. 
Mercantile houses are more numerous, and sales largely increased in volume. 
Two cheroot manufactories have been erected, with demand beyond their capacity 
to supply. The wagon and buggy manufacturing companies have erected immense 
buildings and employ over one hundred hands. Also a large furniture factory, 
which turns out beautiful work; and a spool and shuttle factory. 

Not in the history of the town has there been erected so many new buildings 
as during the past three years. A sanitarium, with hotel combined, which cost 
$100,000, is in successful operation; its surroundings are beautified by walks, 
drives, shady retreats, flower plots, etc. An electric plant has been built, and 
mineral waters are conveyed to suitable points. 

A business men's association has been organized, and has resulted in great 
benefit to the town. Population of town by census of 1900 was 542 and is greatly 
increased since. 

Clarksville is also a town of considerable business importance, and one of the 
most populous in the county. It is located on the south side, at the confluence of 
the Staunton and Dan rivers, which form the Roanoke, and on the Atlantic and 
Danville branch of the Southern, and Keysville and Durham railroads. 

It is surrounded by a fertile agricultural section, which finds in Clarksville a 
ready market for its products. It has large tobacco warehouses and is a good 
market for the sale of leaf tobacco. It has also wagon, buggy ,-and coffin factories, 
banks, good churches and schools. 

South Hill and La Crosse on the Atlantic and Danville branch of the Southern 
railway, are new towns in the eastern portion of the county. The growth of South 
Hill has been very remarkable. Ten years ago there was nothing but the depot; 
now it is nearly as large as Chase City; with large tobacco warehouses, churches, 
schools, and two prosperous banks and many mercantile houses. It is located 
in one of the best bright tobacco districts in the State, and the sales of leaf tobacco 
last year amounted to several millions of pounds. Ogburn's Mineral Springs, 
near by, is one of the best mineral waters in Virginia. 

La Crosse at the crossing of the Atlantic and Danville and the Seaboard Air 
Line railways, is a thriving little town with many business houses, good schools, 
etc. It is destined to be a town of considerable magnitude and importance. 

The home seeker will find much to commend this county to his attention; nor 
will he here find himself among strangers, for a large number of people from the 
North and West are scattered through the county, having purchased lands and 
settled here since the war, who will give the gratifying assurance that they are 
well pleased with cilmate, lands and people. 



MIDDLESEX COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Lancaster in 1675. It is situated in the eastern 
part of the State, forty miles east of Richmond, and lies between the Rappahannock 
and the Piankatank rivers, with Chesapeake bay on the east. 

It is thirty miles long with an average width of six miles; and contains an area 



167 

of 156 square miles. The surface is generally level, with an elevation above 
tidewater of ten to thirty feet on the river, and a hundred feet or more further back. 
The soil is light and dark loam, with clay subsoil, easily cultivated and readily 
improved. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, hay, etc., and the lands are especially 
adapted in some parts to the growth of clover. Peaches, apples, pears, plums, 
apricots, and the smaller fruits and berries do well; also vegetables of the various 
kinds, giving employment to several fruit and vegetable canneries. Being conven- 
ient to market, this county is very favorably located for trucking, which is carried 
on to a considerable extent, especially in the lower part of the county. 

Poultry is a profitable and increasing industry, with several large poultry 
establishments in the county. Stock is grown to some extent, the most profitable 
branch of which is spring lambs. The most extensive and profitable industry, 
however, is in fish and oysters, for which this county is scarcely second to any 
in the State. It has several fish and oyster canneries and fish fertilizer factories. 

Large deposits of marl abound, and this has been extensively used with great 
benefit to the soil in connection with clover and cow peas, in proper rotation of 
crops. 

Timbers are oak, pine, chestnut, ash and cypress, of good quality and quantity. 
The county is well watered by the surrounding water courses and their tributary 
streams, which also afford water power for numerous grist mills. There are also 
many steam mills in operation. Water communication and transportation is 
direct by daily steamers to Baltimore, Fredericksburg and Norfolk. 

The climate is mild and pleasant, the water generally good, and the health 
excellent. Churches are numerous and of all the Protestant denominations. 
School facilities are ample, and there is daily mail to every portion of the county. 
The financial condition of the county is very favorable, and it is considered as 
progressive as any of the counties of this portion of the State, and may be said 
to offer exceptional advantages to those who wish to purchase lands in this section, 
the value of which is increasing very rapidly. Society is good and the hospitable 
people extend a hearty welcome to those seeking homes in their midst. 

Population, census of 1910, 8,852. 

Saluda, the county seat, is located near the center of the county. It has a pop- 
ulation of about 150; several churches and public schools, an academy, a grist 
and planing mill, and two carriage factories. 

The past year has shown marked improvements in this county in building, 
notably at the town of Urbanna a $20,000 bank building, a $15,000 ice plant, 
a fine brick church and many excellent residences. A northern gentleman has 
invested a large amount in the purchase and repair of the Rose Gill estate, an 
old colonial residence on the Rappahannock river, once the home of an English 
governor. Several pickling plants are located in different parts of the county, 
and a considerable amount of capital has come into the county during the past 
few years. Good crops, generally, have also contributed to the prosperity of the 
county; and while fine steamers ply the rivers daily, the county needs railroad 
facilities to connect it with the cities of the State. All parts of the county are 
threaded with one of the finest telephone systems in the country, communication 
on long-distance 'phone being carried on with West Point and every home. 



MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 

This comity was formed in 1776 from a portion'of the territory then known 
as the Fincastle district. The balance of the district was merged into Washington 
and Kentucky counties, the latter comprising the present State of Kentucky. 
Montgomery has since been shorn of much of its original territory by the formation 
of several new counties on every side. 

It is 175 miles southwest from Richmond, about midway between that city 
and the extreme southwest, and is about twenty-two miles on each of its irregular 
sides, containing an area of 394 square miles. 



169 

The surface is rolling and mountainous generally. The soil varies according 
to the geological structure, being principally clay and limestone, and some portions 
slate and freestone; the latter a lighter soil, and generally thin and sterile on the 
hills. The greater portion of the .county is very rich and productive, yielding 
fine crops of corn, wheat, oats, rye, tobacco, etc. It is especially adapted to the 
grasses, both the cultivated and the natural blue grass; so that the production 
of hay, grazing and stock raising are extensively carried on and are very profitable. 
Some of the finest herds of shorthorn cattle in the State are found in this county, 
and it is also specially adapted to the raising of sheep. Fruits of all kinds are 
readily and abundantly grown, and the vegetable and dairy products are also 
items of considerable revenue to the farmer. 

The Norfolk and Western railroad, passing through the center from northeast 
to southwest, a distance of twenty-eight miles, furnishes a convenient line of 
transportation from all points of the county. The New River division of the 
Norfolk and Western railroad runs along the west fine a short distance. 

The minerals of the county are iron, zinc, lead, coal, gold-bearing rocks, copper, 
pyrites, millstone, limestone and slate. Only iron and coal are now being worked, 
the latter quite extensively. 

There are numerous mineral springs in the county, the principal of which are 
the Alleghany Springs, four miles; the Yellow Sulphur three miles, and the Mont- 
gomery White, one and a half miles from the Norfolk and Western railroad. 
These springs are noted for the excellent medicinal properties of their waters, 
and may justly be ranked among the most attractive and desirable summer 
resorts in the State. 

Timber of different kinds native to this latitude is very abundant in some sec- 
tions of the county, especially in the north and the south sides. Oak of different 
varieties, chestnut, walnut, hickory, elm, ash, poplar and pine are found. Some 
of the most valuable timber is sold for export purposes, and considerable quan- 
tities of shingles and barrel staves are manufactured and shipped. 

This county is well watered by New and Little rivers and the head waters of 
the Roanoke, which afford much valuable water power, utilized to a considerable 
extent in manufacturing enterprises of various kinds. Besides its numerous 
flouring mills and sawmills, it has iron furnaces, foundries, stove and pipe works, 
woolen mills, furniture factory, etc. 

The climate is delightful and healthful, and water abundant and of excellent 
quality. Churches of all the denominations are numerous; and educational ad- 
vantages very superior, with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, located at Blacks- 
burg, in this county; an excellent female school at Christiansburg, and the public 
schools of the county in a flourishing condition. Telephone service and mail 
facilities are good. 

Population, census of 1910, 17,268. 

Christiansburg, the county seat, is situated near the center of the county, one 
mile south of Christiansburg station, Norfolk and Western railroad, and on the 
summit of the Alleghany mountains, 2,200 feet above tidewater. It is a beauti- 
ful and growing town of 659 inhabitants (last census), and is surrounded by a 
fertile and picturesque country. The streets are macadamized and lighted, and 
there are quite a number of good hotels, wholesale and retail stores, and establish- 
ments for the manufacture of saddlery, tinware, boots, shoes, etc.; also a flouring 
mill, newspaper, bank, several fraternal orders, churches of the various denomina- 
tions, and schools, both public and private. Its female schools are noted through- 
out this section as being on a higher basis than is usual in country towns. In every 
respect a substantial and steady growth is evidenced here, as shown by the largely- 
increased business of the bank, and of the business houses. 

Other towns of the county are Radford, Blacksburg, Shawsville, Elliston and 
Lafayette. 

Radford is the most populous and important town in the county. It is beauti- 
fully situated on New river, in the western boundary of the county, and on the 
Norfolk and Western railroad, at the junction of its main fine with the New River 
division, twelve miles west of Christiansburg. 

Blacksburg, an important and prosperous town, is located in the northwestern 



171 

portion of the county, eight miles north of Christiansburg station on the Norfolk 
and Western railroad. It is beautifully situated in the midst of a fine farming 
country, with rolling grass and grain fields, dotted here and there with handsome 
residences, and presenting a picture of landscape scenery beautiful in the extreme. 
It has good churches and schools, and is a very active business center and a desir- 
able residence town. The new railroad, from the Norfolk and Western at Chris- 
tiansburg to this place and the adjacent coal fields, has added very largely to 
the importance and business of the town, besides being of great benefit and con- 
venience to the surrounding agricultural section. 

Blacksburg is especially noted as the seat of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 
a military institution that is doing an admirable work in educating the young men 
of the State in agriculture, the mechanical arts and engineering. The buildings 
are principally brick, large and commodious, and the college grounds extensive 
and very attractive. The college farm, consisting of 338 acres of excellent land 
in fine state of cultivation, is devoted to experimental purposes. The shops are 
well equipped with valuable machinery for iron and wood work; also with foundry 
and forge. The income of the college consists of an annuity from the Federal 
government and a liberal appropriation by the State. It is one of the largest 
and most progressive schools in the State, being taxed to its full capacity in the 
number of pupils. The military feature is decidedly attractive and useful. 



NANSEMOND COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1639 from Isle of Wight, and is located in the south- 
eastern portion of the State sixty-six miles from Richmond. It is thirty-five 
miles long and nineteen miles wide, extending from Hampton Roads on the north 
to the North Carolina line on the south, and contains an area of 393 square miles. 

Average price for improved lands $25 per acre; average assessed value about 
$10 per acre. About one-third of the area is in cultivation. Sixty-five thousand 
acres of the Dismal Swamp is embraced in this county. The soil is sandy loam, 
with clay subsoil. The lands on the river are of very fine quality. 

Farm products are corn, oats, wheat, cotton and peanuts. In the production 
of the last, this county ranks among the first in the State. Vegetables of all 
kinds grow to great perfection, and come into market early; especially melons, 
peas and tomatoes. The Nansemond potato has long been celebrated for its 
superior quality. A large proportion of the land is devoted to trucking. This 
and peanut raising are the most profitable industries of the county. Fish and 
oysters are abundant; also water fowls, such as ducks, geese and swans. 

The railroads are the Seaboard Air Line, the Norfolk and Western, the Southern, 
the Atlantic Coast Line, the Virginian railway and the Suffolk and Carolina, 
which not only afford large transportation facilities, but are a source of much 
business and prosperity to the county. Access to market is also furnished by 
steamers on Nansemond river. 

A great abundance of marl of superior quality is found, and much used on the 
lands. There is still some good timber in the county, such as pine, cypress and 
juniper, which find a ready and profitable market. Nansemond river, in the 
middle and northern portion, and Blackwater and its tributaries, in the southern 
and western parts, afford ample water supply and drainage. 

In climate, health and water, this county compares favorably with other portions 
of this section of the State. Churches are numerous and largely attended; tele- 
phone service and mail facilities are all that could be desired; the rate of taxation 
is low; and altogether, this is one of the most prosperous counties in the State. 

There are eight high schools in the county and five banks. The following is a 
list of a number of the industries: Six water mills for grinding corn, and two steam 
grist mills; eight peanut factories; about twenty-five lumber plants; two barrel 
and box factories; two butter-dish factories; one knitting mill; two foundries; 
three factories making peanut-pickers; six brick factories; two planing mills; 
four machine shops; two ice plants; one electric and one gas plant, and one meat 
packing house and cold storage. 

Population, census of 1910, 26,886. 



173 

NELSON COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1807 from Amherst, and lies on the eastern slope 
of the Blue Ridge, seventy-five miles west of Richmond. It is separated from 
Augusta on the northwest by the Blue Ridge mountains, and from Buckingham 
on the southeast by James river. It contains an area of 472 square miles. 

The surface is rolling, the soil generally is red clay, except on the rivers, which 
is dark alluvial, and very productive. Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, 
tobacco, buckwheat and the grasses, especially clover and timothy. 

This county is especially adapted to the growth of fruits and vegetables of 
all kinds; indeed, it may be considered one of the best sections in the State for 
fruit. The Albemarle pippin, and the Pilot, another famous apple, and a native 
of this county, flourish here. Grapes also grow to perfection in this county, 
and have received increased attention the past few years, with gratifying results. 
There are several large vineyards in the county, and some wine cellars. Poultry 
is extensively and profitably raised. Of the various products of the county, how- 
ever, tobacco is the chief money crop of the farmer. 

The mountain lands furnish fine pasturage; and horses, cattle and sheep espe- 
cially, are raised here in large numbers for northern markets. 

Railroads are the James river division of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, 
on the southeastern border; the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad on the northern 
border; and the Southern, extending through its middle part from northeast to 
southwest. These afford ample and convenient communication and transportation 
to the markets, north and south. 

Minerals are iron ore, both hematite and magnetic; copper, manganese, lead, 
asbestos, kaolin and soapstone; of which iron, copper and manganese have been 
worked to a considerable extent. Four companies are working up soapstone 
into wash-tubs, etc., and they cannot supply the demand from New York and 
Philadelphia alone. Chalybeate and sulphur waters are found in various parts. 

The rutile mined in this county is of excellent quality, being very pure. The 
market for this mineral is yet limited. For the present uses made of rutile, the 
demand is not very great. These include a limited quantity in alloys and certain 
grades of steel, for the manufacture of artificial teeth, and of porcelain-ware, 
serving in both as a pigment. Up to the present time the demand for rutile in the 
United States has not exceeded 200 to 300 pounds annually. The Nelson county 
plant is capable of producing 1,000 to 2,000 pounds per day. 

There are six soapstone plants in the county. These are operated by electric 
power developed on the Tye and Rockfish rivers. 

Timber consists principally of walnut, pine, poplar, oak, chestnut and hickory; 
and is abundant. 

The James river, on the southeastern border, and its tributaries; the Tye and 
the Rockfish rivers, and other streams extending through the county, afford ample 
water and drainage, and also splendid water power. The famous cataract, Crabtree 
Falls, is situated in this county on a branch of Tye river. There are a number 
of sawmills, and tanbark and cross-ties are considerable industries. 

The climate is temperate, invigorating and healthful, and the water pure, 
fresh and everywhere abundant. There are several excellent private female 
schools, and churches of the various denominations are distributed throughout 
the county. Telephone and mail facilities are good, and the financial condition 
of the county very favorable. A fine estate, at Oak Ridge, in this county, has 
recently been purchased by a party in New York, who has since added several 
thousand acres of land and stocked it with large numbers of fine-grade sheep 
and cattle. Doubtless others will do likewise, when the splendid advantages of 
this section shall become more generally known. 

Lovingston, the county seat, is located in the central part of the county, four 
and a half miles north of Montreal station, on the Southern railway, with which 
it has daily mail communication. It has a population of about 300, and several 
churches, public schools, wheelwright shops, a newspaper and a Masonic lodge. 
Other villages are Afton, Buffalo and Arlington. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 16,821. 



174 

NEW KENT COUNTY. 

This county was formed from York in 1654. It lies nine miles east of Richmond, 
between the Pamunkey and the Chickahominy rivers. It is twenty-sir miles 
long and from seven to nine miles wide, and contains an area of 233 square miles. 
Good lands can be bought in this county at from one-tenth to one-half the price 
of lands of the same quality in the north. 

The surface is generally level, but is undulating in parts. The soil in the interior 
is light and sandy; on the river bottom a stiff clay or loam; the latter are very 
extensive and exceedingly fertile. Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, early 
vegetables, sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes, for the last of which the soil is 
specially adapted; also red clover, vetch, rape, and other valuable grasses, grow 
here to perfection. 

Poultry and trucking are important products; perhaps the most important in 
the county. Horses, cattle and sheep do well; especially the last. These can 
get green food the year round, except a few days when there is snow, which is 
soon gone. Bermuda grass grows in great luxuriance, and makes first-class pas- 
ture. 

Good markets are near by, and transportation by water and rail convenient, 
with the York River railroad on the north, and the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad 
in the southern part. 

Marl is abundant, and of excellent quality. The timber consists of oak, hickory, 
maple, pine, cypress, ash, gum, etc. Much cord-wood and ship timber is annually 
marketed from this county. 

The Pamunkey, the Chickahominy and the York rivers on the northern, southern 
and eastern borders, respectively, and their tributaries, afford ample water supply. 

The climate is excellent, not objectionably warm in summer, nor cold in winter. 
Churches of the various denominations are conveniently located, and public schools 
sufficient for all demands. Sawmills are running on full time; ship-timber men 
are actively employed; and, with good prices for their products, the farmers are 
in a prosperous condition. The people are intelligent and cultivated, and are 
noted for their sociability and generous hospitality. Two telephone lines are 
being installed. 

Population, census of 1910, 4,682. 

This county is noted as having been the marriage place of George Washington. 

New Kent Courthouse, the county seat, is located in the northern central por- 
tion of the county, thirty miles from Richmond, and is a small inland country 
village of about 100 inhabitants. The nearest market is Richmond. 

Other towns in the county are Barboursville and Providence Forge. The 
latter, at the head of Chickahominy navigation, and on the Chesapeake and Ohio 
railway, is a thriving village. 



NORFOLK COUNTY. 

Norfolk county, from the earliest days, has figured conspicuously in history. 
Its present condition is the interesting theme of this accurate presentation. 

It is one of the richest in agricultural production, in general and varied resources. 
It is one of the most progressive, and the most populous of the counties. It is 
the local figure in the State's activities. 

In spite of constant diminution in area through annexation of territory to 
the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, it has suffered but little loss in assessments, 
as is amply demonstrated by the following figures : 

Since 1887 Norfolk has absorbed 3,497 acres of Norfolk county lands, while 
Portsmouth has taken 1,175 acres from its total of 425 square miles, thus reducing 
the total to 352 square miles. 

These 4,672'acres, forming the suburban districts of the cities, had the greatest 
value and the largest population, and hence this absorption would naturally 
*edii>:e the assessments and the number of its inhabitants. So constant, however, 



175 



has been the influx of new people, and so vast the upbuilding of lands adjacent 
to the cities, that the losses were soon regained in each case. 

In 1910 the population of Norfolk county was 52,744. No section of the entire 
country presents a fairer prospect of profit through intensive farming by those 
who bring their own labor and exercise intelligence with their efforts. 

In 1891 Virginia's trucking area was 45,375 acres, of which Norfolk county 
supplied not less than ninety per cent. This has been greatly reduced by the 
developments shown above, but the aggregate returns have increased. In that 
year the receipts footed up $7,692,852, while any favorable season now returns 
at least $8,000,000. The importance of trucking can be appreciated when statistics 
credit it with more than ten per cent, of the total agricultural valuesjn the intire 
State. 

The influence of the Gulf streanTso tempers the vigors of winter, and prolongs 
the season of 'production,* that as many as four crops are raised annually from the 
same ground. The soiljis a semi-sandy Jloam, rendering cultivation easy, and 
insuring prompt benefits from fertilizer application, thus forcing growth and early 
shipments to the great populous trade centers. 




CRATING CANTALOUPES NEAR NORFOLK 



^Trucking is a commercial business, requiring the highest order of intelligence 
and industry, and experience during a series of years has amply proven its profitable 
character. Fortunes have been amassed since 1865, when it first received serious 
consideration, although it was started in Norfolk county in 1841. Rapid transpor- 
tation is the great factor in its enlargement, since Long Island cannot supply 
fresher greenstuff to the New York market than can the Old Dominion steamers 
and our railroads, which land their freight fifteen hours after leaving our fields. 

Immense local plants supply the millions of packages and the thousands of tons 
of fertilizers; laborers in large numbers earn big wages; general business is sus- 
tained; bank deposits are swelled to great proportions, the whole bringing pros- 
perity to more people than does any one other industry in the State. All of this 
will be multiplied many times when intensive farming is more widely practiced. 

The experience of one man in Norfolk county is strikingly illustrative of what 
is possible along this line of agriculture. On two and one-half acres he raised a 
few of the more choice and delicate vegetables in cold frames, and sold them in 



176 

the local market in advance of regular production; he netted $6,050. One great 
difficulty must soon find a solution — our farms are too large for the purchasers, 
both because of the money needed, and the scarcity of labor. A number of farm- 
ers will do well to buy conjunctively and portion the land out as best suits them. 
In this way the lands can be had at prices far below a fair proportion to their 
earning capacity, and much cheaper than many of our interior lands. The man 
with a moderate sum of money, but abundant labor, has a chance in Norfolk 
county that cannot be duplicated anywhere, when all the factors are properly 
estimated. Too little attention is paid to home wants, hence the high cost of 
living, for no item the farmer sells fails to bring big prices in all our Virginia cities. 

Every variety of vegetable growth, other than tropical plants, can be success- 
fully raised in Norfolk county, and a study of its worth in all its phases, must 
interest every aspiring settler. Staple crops respond readily to careful prepara- 
tion, and yield returns of great value. Horsetooth corn is a most profitable type 
of grain, almost the entire output finding ready sale at high prices in Europe, 
where it is used for seed. Dairying presents a most promising prospect to ex- 
perienced men with sufficient capital, not more than sixty per cent, of dairy 
products being supplied from home dairies. Less than 1,200 cows are all that can 
now be depended on by Norfolk and its suburbs, and each arrival of trains and 
steamers bring large imports of milk, cream and ice cream, to fill the wants of 
100,000 people. 

The perfect net-work of water courses that percolate through every part of the 
county, and its splendid water-fronts, suitable for shipping terminals, are assets 
of incalculable value. They afford cheap transit in connection with the modern 
motor-boat; they give industrial sites when backed by rail connection, exciting 
the admiration of all economists; they yield marine diet at once delightful and 
profitable, figuring way up into the millions; they give perfect drainage so neces- 
sary to all low countries; they afford health properties and comfort to all fortunate 
enough to come under the influence of the breezes that blow over them. 

Two canals, which penetrate the State of North Carolina, empty into local 
waters, and have a distinct bearing on the great commercial traffic of Norfolk 
county's ports. 

Poultry and eggs are important items in the long list of the county's capabilities, 
for home wants and transportation facilities leave no room for stagnation in those 
essentials. Here again is awaiting opportunity that offers abundant returns for 
every dollar's worth raised, for the demand far outstrips supply. Not yet has Nor- 
folk county's timber been exhausted and its forests contribute largely to the cut of 
the thirty-five sawmills that line the banks of the southern branch of the Elizabeth 
river. Railroad shops, tracks and terminals occupy a large portion of the county's 
lands, while factories in rapidly increasing numbers flank the rail lines and deep- 
water-courses. 

The public schools of Norfolk county are a marvel of completeness, having 
nearly 10,000 pupils. 

Lack of space forbids as complete a recital of Norfolk county's claim to outside 
interest as its possessions justify, but those who want specific facts in detail can 
always have truthful statements by application to the trade organizations of 
either Norfolk or Portsmouth. 



NORTHAMPTON COUNTY. 

This county was originally a portion of Accomac, and occupies the southern 
portion of the Eastern Shore peninsula. It is located in the extreme eastern part 
of the State, seventy-eight miles from Richmond, with the Atlantic ocean on the 
east, the Chesapeake bay on the west, and Accomac county on the north. Thirty 
miles long, with an average width of five miles, it contains an area of 232 square 
miles. 

The surface is level, the soil light sandy, with clay subsoil, very easily improved, 
one-half of it being under cultivation. There are many fine farms in the county. 
Farm products are sweet and Irish potatoes, corn, rye and grasses, especially 



177 



clover. Fruits do well, especially apples, and the smaller fruits, berries, etc. 
It is especially adapted to the growth of vegetables of all kinds, ranking first in 
the State for the yield of onions per acre. Trucking is carried on to a large extent; 
the lands are especially adapted to this industry, and are scarcely excelled in this 
particular in the State. The most important and profitable products of the countv, 
however, are Irish and sweet potatoes. Last year the growers were favored with 
an abundant crop of both, and at remunerative prices; and it will long be remem- 
bered as the best and most prosperous year within the recollection of the people. 
A very conservative estimate of the Irish potato crop marketed from this county 
annually is placed at 400,000 barrels with an income from that source of $1,000,000. 

The numerous rivers, bays and inlets with which its shores are indented, contain 
fish and oysters in great quantities, variety, and of superior excellence, forming 
a source of cheap and luxurious living, and large revenues to the inhabitants. 
Water fowls are also abundant, and a source of much profit and sport to the 
huntsman. 

The New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk railroad passes through the center of 




A STRAWBERRY FIELD IN TIDEWATER VIRGINIA. 



the county for twenty miles, terminating at Cape Charles City, on the Chesapeake 
bay, from which point a steam tug and barge line connects with Norfolk, thus 
affording excellent transportation facilities to the markets, north and south. 

Pine and oak are the principal timbers, of which there is considerable quantity. 

The climate is mild and salubrious, its almost insular position rendering it 
free from extremes of heat or cold. The health of the county is excellent, and 
the water good. Churches and pub He schools are numerous and convenient, 
and it has, besides, one academy. Telephone service and mail facilities are ample, 
and the county roads are well located and kept in good condition. 

In progress and general advancement this county is rapidly moving forward, 
and it already occupies a position in the front rank in these respects, of which 
there is no better evidence than the increase of population and its excellent finan- 
cial condition, having a surplus of $25,000 loaned on mortgage. It is also noted 
for its hospitality and its splendid social advantages. 

Population, census of 1910, 16,672. 



179 

Eastville, the county seat, is located on the New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk 
railroad. The streets are excellent and well lighted: and it has an academy, a 
Young Men's Christian Association building, a lodge of Masons and several 
churches. 

Other towns in the county are Cape Charles, and Franktown. 



NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1648. It is one of the five counties constituting 
the Northern Neck, and lies at the mouth of the Potomac river, on the Chesapeake 
bay, sixty miles northeast from Richmond. 

It is twenty-five miles long and seven to eight miles wide, and contains an 
area of 235 square miles. About forty per cent, of the area is in cultivation. 
Surface is level, soil rich and alluvial on the streams; on the uplands, light and 
sandy, and easily improved. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, sweet and Irish potatoes. Clover 
does well, and the raising of clover seed has assumed considerable proportions. 
Garden vegetables and fruits of all kinds, and of the best, are produced. Fowls 
and eggs in great abundance are marketed. The trucking interest is largely on 
the increase. 

There are some very good breeds of stock kept, and conditions are improving 
\ T early in this respect. 

This county is scarcely second to any in the State in the extent and value of 
its fisheries and oyster beds, and water fowls abound in great abundance. The 
fishing season lasts about half the year, employing a large number of men and ves- 
sels. There are many large and important fish factories in operation in the 
county engaged in the manufacture of fish-oil and fish fertilizers (commonly 
known as fish chum), and this industry ranks as the most profitable in the county. 
Other enterprises are oyster packing plants, canneries, sawmills, planing mills, etc. 
Unparalleled commercial facilities exist on account of its numerous navigable 
waters, with coast-line and inland lines of steamers connecting with Baltimore, 
Washington, Alexandria and Norfolk, affording excellent market advantages 
for its products — melons, fresh vegetables, oysters, fish, wild fowls and poultry. 

The most valuable timbers are oak, pine, poplar and chestnut, considerably 
depleted, but still yielding quantities of cord-wood, railroad ties, ship-timber, 
etc. Poplar chiefly is exported. 

Water and drainage is amply supplied by its numerous inland rivers and creeks. 
The climate is temperate, variable and moist, and health generally good. Water 
is of good quality, as artesian wells are easily bored, and afford excellent water. 

Churches are numerous and attractive, public and private schools well con- 
ducted, and telephone service is to all important points. 

Taxes are low, and people generally out of debt. 

Taken as a whole, the county is progressive and up-to-date along all lines of 
public improvement and private enterprise, and offers many inducements to 
homeseekers. 

Population, census of 1910, 10,777. 

Heathsville, the county seat, is located in the center of the county. It has 
a graded school, lodge of Masons, and several churches. Reedville is another 
town of considerable population and importance, where a fish factory, for the 
purpose of manufacturing the immense catches of menhaden caught in the bay 
into fertilizer and fish-oil, does a large business. 



NOTTOWAY COUNTY. 

Nottoway county was formed in 1788 from Amelia, and is located in the south- 
central part of the State, thirty miles southwest from Richmond. 

It is twenty-five miles long by about twelve miles in width, and has an area of 
304 square miles. Average size of farms, eighty-five acres. 



181 

Lands in this county are low. Many valuable tracts can be bought at a very 
easonable price. The surface is rolling, and soil a clay loam. 

Principal farm products are wheat, corn, oats and tobacco, especially the latter, 
of which the yield is very large and of excellent quality. 

Railroads are the Norfolk and Western and the Southern, which intersect at 
Burkeville, and furnish convenient transportation facilities for the products of 
the county. Minerals are kaolin, mica, granite and soapstone, but undeveloped. 
There are five banks in the county. 

The most valuable timbers are pine, oak, hickory, walnut, poplar, chestnut, 
cedar and ash. 

Ample water supply and drainage is furnished by the Nottoway and Little 
Nottoway rivers, and numerous creeks, tributaries of the Appomattox, on 
which are situated flour mills and sawmills. 

Public schools and churches abound; there are three high schools. 

Population, census of 1910, 13,462. 

Nottoway, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, on the 
Norfolk and Western railroad. Population 175. It has a grist mill, public graded 
school, private school, fraternal order, and excellent water power. 

Other towns are Burkeville, Crewe and Blackstone. 

Burkeville is a thriving, growing town, located in the northwestern portion of 
the county, at the intersection of the Norfolk and Western and Southern rail- 
roads. It has a population (census of 1900), of 510, which is an increase of 106 
since last census. 

Crewe is a railroad town, and, although the youngest, is the most populous 
in the county. 

Blackstone, also a comparatively new town (having been built up since the war), 
is a place of considerable importance and business, being the largest shipping 
point for produce on the Norfolk and Western railroad from Lynchburg to Peters- 
burg. Blackstone is primarily a tobacco market, being the fifth largest market 
for dark tobacco in the State. Its business in this fine was exceedingly prosperous 
last year, showing a considerable increase with a number of busy warehouses. 
It has two very prosperous banks, which show a decided increase of business over 
the previous year. A factory for the manufacture of handles and spokes is one 
of the new industries established recently, and is now in successful operation. 
The Blackstone Manufacturing Company now has an electric plant, by which they 
can carry on their work night and day. There is an up-to-date telephone exchange 
extending to adjoining counties, and a fine new passenger depot has been built 
which would be an ornament to a larger town. The Blackstone Horse Exchange 
has been organized, with the result that it is now one of the good horse markets 
in the State. Fifteen thousand dollars has been invested in water works soon to 
be constructed, and numerous business houses and private residences have been 
recently erected, the town limits thereby being considerably extended. There 
have been large sales of town lots, besides other large deals in real estate. The 
freight and passenger receipts of the railroad have multiplied largely, and business 
of all kinds shows large increase. Besides the above there are numerous stores 
and shops, a fertilizer factory, bark, sumac and grist mills, tobacco factory, several 
good churches, public school buildings, two splendid institutes — male and female — 
and an influential newspaper. 



ORANGE COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Spotsylvania in 1734. It is situated in the Pied- 
mont section, sixty miles northeast from Richmond. Its greatest length is thirty- 
eight miles, and width ranges from five to fourteen miles, containing an area of 
349 square miles. 

The surface in the eastern part is undulating and hilly: mountainous to some 
extent in the central and western portions, with about one-third of the area in 
cultivation, of which the greater portion is of excellent quality. The soil is a 
dark red clay, producing large crops of grain, grass and some tobacco. 



182 



This is a fine grass-growing and grazing county, and as a result, the rearing 
of cattle and sheep, of good quality, is extensively carried on; and for sheep 
especially, it is perhaps second to none outside of the blue grass region. 

This county is peculiarly adapted to the growing of apples, cherries, grapes, 
and all the standard varieties of fruit. The raising of small fruits, especially, is 
i rapidly-increasing and profitable industry. Large areas are being appropri- 
ated to vineyards, and large quantities of grapes are annually shipped to the 
northern markets. Fruit growing and stock raising rank as the most profitable 
industries of the county. 

The Southern, Chesapeake and Ohio, and the Fredericksburg railways afford 




GRAPE GROWING IN VIRGINIA. 



excellent transportation facilities to all parts of the county. 

Minerals are iron, gold, asbestos, fire clay, marble and limestone, some of which 
have been successfully worked. 

The supply of timber is very good, consisting of oak, hickoiy, walnut,l'pine, 
chestnut, poplar and sycamore. The county is abundantly watered by the Rapidan 
and North Anna rivers, and their numerous tributaries, which also afford excellent 
water power. 

Climate, health and water are all that could be desired, and churches of the 
different denominations are numerous and conveniently located. Public and 
private schools afford abundant educational facilities. 

This county, with its great diversity of agricultural products, fine fruit and 
grazing facilities, fine water, pure mountain air, and ready access to good markets, 



183 

is a very desirable section for home seekers who want to engage in agricultural 
pursuits. 

Population, census of 1910, 13,486. 

Orange, the county seat, is located in the west-central part of the county, 
eighty miles northwest from Richmond, and is the center of the railroad system 
of the county. Elevation above sea level, 524 feet. Population, census of 1900, 
536. It has made large progress during the past few years, embracing a handsome 
bank building, a new postoffice building, an electric light plant, a fire department, 
several attractive and commodious business establishments, and a large number 
of new dwelling houses. There are also steam grist mills, newspapers and a graded 
school, lodge of Masons, and numerous churches. The mills are doing the largest 
business in their history, and their products are being shipped in large quantities 
to many points. 

Gordonsville, another town of considerable importance, is situated in the extreme 
southwest portion of the county, at the junction of the Chesapeake and Ohio, and 
Southern railways, This place has shown marked improvement of recent years 
in its electric plant, new concrete pavements, banks, etc. Gordonsville has ex- 
cellent schools, public and private — the Piedmont Academy ranking as one of the 
best schools in the county. Many western people have settled in the town and 
surrounding county, and both the merchants and farmers report a steady growth 
in trade. 



PAGE COUNTY. 

Page county was formed in 1831 from Shenandoah and Rockingham, and 
constitutes a part of the rich and beautiful valley of the Shenandoah. 

It is situated in the northern part of the State, ninety miles northwest from 
Richmond. The whole county is a valley thirty miles in length, and about eleven 
mills in width, with the Blue Ridge for its eastern and the Massanutten mountains 
its western boundaries. The Shenandoah river extends through its entire length, 
and the county contains an area of 317 square miles. 

The surface is gently undulating, and the soil a rich limestone of great fertility, 
yielding large crops of wheat, corn oats, rye, and the grasses. Grazing facilities, 
especially in the Blue Ridge section, are excellent, and horses, cattle and sheep 
are extensively grown. Fruits and vegetables do well. Dairy and poultry products 
are considerable and a source of much profit. 

The Shenandoah valley division of the Norfolk and Western railroad passes 
through the center of the county its entire length, affording to all sections con- 
venient transportation facilities, north and south. 

Situated within five hours' run of Baltimore and Washington, these cities 
afford excellent markets, though much of the poultry, dairy and vegetable pro- 
ducts find a home market in the hotels, boarding houses, tanneries and other 
enterprises. 

Minerals are iron, copper, ochre, manganese, limestone and marble, the most 
important of which are iron (which is in great abundance, and being extensively 
marketed), and manganese of superior quality, which is shipped to northern 
furnaces. There has been considerable activity recently in the manganese and 
copper mines, and the prospect for their more extensive development and opera- 
tion is good. The Oxford ochre mine at Stanley, in this county, is in very successful 
operation. There is much valuable timber, such as oak, pine, walnut, ash, and 
poplar, being worked by the large number of sawmills in operation in the county, 
and also supplying large quantities of tanbark for its numerous tanneries and 
leather works, which do an extensive business, shipping most of their product to 
Europe. Besides these there are planing mills, furniture factory, twenty-five 
fine flouring mills, woolen mill and a stave and barrel factory — one of the largest 
enterprises of the kind in the valley. 

The Shenandoah river — extending through the county its entire length — and 
its branches afford a plentiful supply of water and maginficent water power. 
The climate is mild and invigorating healthful, and free from malaria. Water 



185 

is limestone of excellent quality. There are also a number of chalybeate and 
sulphur springs in the county. Churches in every neighborhood, and educational 
advantages all that could be desired. Telephone service is ample, and there are 
excellent mail facilities. Financial condition of county is good, and the farmers 
are prosperous, as shown by their improved dwellings and barns, some of the 
former being handsome structures in modern style. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 14,147. 

Luray, the county seat, is a beautiful town of 1,147 inhabitants (census of 1900), 
situated on the Shenandoah valley division of the Norfolk and Western railroad, 
and in the center of the rich and beautiful Page valley. It has macadamized 
streets and paved sidewalks, numerous schools, churches and fraternal orders, 
two newspapers and two banks — in a very prosperous condition. A furniture 
factory recently established here gives employment to about sixty workmen. 
The tannery and bark works located here are large and successful enterprises. 
The water works and gas plant recently installed have given new life and enter- 
prise to the town. The noted Luray caverns, which annually attract thousands 
of visitors, are one mile distant from the town. Luray is becoming a very popular 
summer resort, with its splendid hotel accommodations. Its wonderful caverns 
have a national reputation. 

Shenandoah is a growing town situated in the southern part of the county. 
It has a population census of 1900, of 1,220; which is an increase of 469 since last 
census. The large iron furnace at this place was put in blast many years ago, 
and is now in successful operation, producing a maximum of 140 tons per day. 



PATRICK COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Henry in 1781. It is situated in the southwestern 
portion of Virginia, 158 miles southwest from Richmond, air line, and is the most 
western county of the State south of the Blue Ridge, which forms its western 
boundary. It contains an area of 489 square miles. The surface is hilly and moun- 
tainous in the western part, with fine bottom lands along the numerous streams. 
The soil varies from sandy to a red loam, and is productive. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, tobacco and the grasses. In the 
southern half of the county, along the North Carolina line and the portion adjoin- 
ing Henry county, is the fine tobacco belt. About half of the county is really 
in the famous Blue Ridge section, well adapted to grain, grass and cattle, especially 
the northern portion on the "Meadows of Dan" — a beautiful plateau on and near 
the top of the Blue Ridge. Stock raising is a considerable industry, and with proper 
attention could be made very profitable. 

This is an exceptionally fine county for fruit. The soil and climate are peculiarly 
adapted to its growth, and the people realizing these advantages, are turning 
their attention largely to its culture. To those who are interested in this industry, 
Patrick offers inducements second to none in the State. Lands are cheap, and 
apples grown here have taken first honors for size, color and flavor wherever ex- 
hibited. There are thousands of acres of first-class lands in the county, notably on 
the face and the foothills of the Blue Ridge, and in the rich coves, that are unex- 
celled for apples and fruit of all kinds; these lands can be bought for from $4 to $6 
per acre, producing more and better fruit than lands in other sections rating at $50 
to $100 per acre. 

Railroads are the Danville and Western, extending from Danville to Stuart, 
the county seat. The Mount Airy and Eastern railroad extends from Mount 
Airy, North Carolina, to the lumber districts of the western part of the county, 
some twenty-one miles, having been built to carry out the timber. The recent 
survey for the Mount Rogers and Eastern railroad, through the northern part of 
the county, is also interesting the people very much, and brightening the prospects 
for better railroad facilities in the near future. The Norfolk and Western railroad 
is also building a branch road to the Hairston Iron Works. 

The minerals of this county would be a source of material wealth if developed. 
They are iron (magnetic and hematite), manganese and lead. The iron is of 



186 

very superior quality and of unlimited quantity, and was worked by the Confeder- 
ate government during the war. There are also extensive quarries of very valuable 
building stone, and soapstone is found in large quantities. 

There are several mineral springs in the county, notably the famous "Patrick 
Springs," seven miles below Stuart, which is filled every summer to its utmost 
capacity by the people of Danville and Martinsville; and some wonderful cures 
have been effected by its waters. 

The forest growth of this county consists in the main of oak, walnut, poplar, 
pine, maple, ash, hickory, chestnut, beech, cherry, sycamore and other hard 
woods. Yellow poplar, and oak timber for staves, framing timber, tanbark 
and cross-ties, are the leading and most valuable timbers of the county, and the sup- 
ply — especially of the oak — is practically inexhaustible. Patrick is rich in all 
the hard woods, except pine and walnut, most of the latter having been shipped out. 

All sections of the county are well watered by the Dan, Little Dan, Ararat, 
North and South Mayo and Smith rivers and their numerous tributaries, and 
the water power is abundant for manufacturing purposes. Numerous sawmills 
and roller flour mills are located on these streams and in different sections of the 
county. 

The climate is excellent — pleasant in summer, and not too severe in winter. 

There are quite a number of public schools and churches in the county conven- 
ient to all sections. Stuart Normal College, located at the county seat, is an ex- 
excellent school for the equipment of teachers for work in the public free schools. 
Mail facilities of the county are ample, and its financial condition is good. Con- 
siderable attention is being given to the roads of the county, and a new turnpike 
from Stuart towards Meadows of Dan and Floyd has been built. All that is 
needed to advance the county to the front rank in importance is capital to develop 
its resources. Ten miles distant from Stuart is "Lover's Leap," and within 
about twenty miles are the "pinnacles of Dan, " which are among the most beauti- 
ful of all mountain scenery. 

Stuart, the county seat, is a village of 371 inhabitants, census of 1900. It is 
situated on South Mayo river, and is the western terminus of the Danville and 
Western railroad, from which large quantities of fruit, vegetables, poultry and 
other produce are shipped to the markets. The streets are graded and lighted, 
and it has two banks, two schools, four churches, two fraternal orders and a news- 
paper, a business men's association established, and a joint stock company, organ- 
ized for the purpose of erecting a furniture factory, and a hardwood working 
establishment. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 17,195. 



PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1767 from Halifax, and isjthe central southern 
county of the State, 110 miles southwest from Richmond, and bordering the North 
Carolina line. It is thirty-five miles long and about twenty-five miles wide, and 
is the second largest county in area in the State, containing 986 square miles. 

Numerous farms in the county have been sold to northern buyers at good 
prices. The surface is generally rolling and hilly, with some low mountains; 
but a very large area of fertile bottom lands along the streams. The soil is varied 
in character and adaptable for the cultivation of almost every known crop of the 
latitude. The soil of the uplands is fight, gray and gravelly, producing an immense 
quantity of the finest bright yellow tobacco, nearly doubling in quantity any other 
county in the State, and totalling over 17,000,000 pounds by last census, and 
constituting it the money crop of the county. The soil of the lowlands along 
the streams varies from a stiff red to a sandy character, and is very fertile, pro- 
ducing fine crops of corn, wheat, oats, rye and grass. Fruits and vegetables of all 
kinds common to other sections of the State are grown to great perfection, and, 
together with the dairy products, peanuts, etc., are sources of considerable revenue 
to the farmer. 



187 

Market advantages are excellent, supplied by its convenient railroad facilities 
and the large demand at Danville, its manufacturing city. 

For stock raising, it is principally noted for its large number of mules, and very 
recently lands have been purchased in the county by parties from without for the 
purpose of stocking them with high-bred horses. Stockraising presents an invit- 
ing field of operation in this county, all the conditions being favorable to it. 

This county has excellent railroad facilities, having connection with Richmond, 
Lynchburg, Martinsville, Greensboro and Norfolk, through its various lines — the 
Atlantic and Danville, Danville and Western, and the Southern and its branches. 

Minerals also abound, the most notable of which is magnetic iron ore, a high 
grade of which is found in a productive vein running from Leesville, in Campbell 
county, southwest, through the county to the North Carolina line. It is worked 
very profitably at Pitts vide, from which mines eight to twenty carloads are daily 
shipped to furnaces at Roanoke; Lynchburg and Philadelphia. 

Mineral springs are chalybeate and sulphur. Timbers are hickory, oak, chestnut 
and pine, some of which is original growth, but the greater part second growth 
pine. 

Its streams are Staunton river on the north, and Banister, Dan and Hyco 
rivers in the central and southern portions. These rivers and their numerous 
tributary streams afford an ample supply of water and much valuable water power. 

The manufactories of the county (other than those located at Danville, which 
will be mentioned in connection with that city), are a large number of flouring 
and grain mills, steam sawmills, tobacco factories, tanneries, stone and marble 
quarries, chair factory, and a large sash, door and blind plant. 

This county can boast of a climate unsurpassed. Being near the 37th parallel 
of latitude, midway between the waters of the Atlantic, warmed by the Gulf 
Stream on the east, and the sheltering wings of the Appalachian range of mountains 
on the west, it has neither of the extremes of heat or cold, and is extremely healthful 
and free from malaria and epidemics. The water is freestone, abundant and good. 
Churches are numerous and of all denominations. With over two hundred school- 
houses, and a school population of 20,000, the subject of education is a very absorb- 
ing one, and it is fully met by the very efficient free school system of the county, 
supplemented by many private schools of high standing. 

Telephone service and mail facilities are first-class. Much attention is given 
to road improvements and bridges, over $10,000 being expended annually for that 
purpose, and as a result, the county has most excellent roads. Progress and 
improvement is apparent in all lines of agriculture and business. The financial 
condition of the county is good. 

The population of the county (independent of Danville), census of 1910, is 
50,709, making it second in the State in population. Value of real estate, $3,819,- 
444.00; personalty, $1,138,420.00. 

Chatham, the county seat, situated on the Southern railway, is a thriving 
town of considerable importance. Its streets are lighted and have brick sidewalks. 
There are numerous churches, factories and fraternal orders; also two banks, 
public schools; newspaper and seven stores. Numerous handsome residences 
have recently been erected, and a general era of improvement and prosperity 
prevails. 



POWHATAN COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1777 from Cumberland. It is located in the central 
portion of the State, twenty miles west of Richmond, James river forming its 
northern and Appomattox river its southern boundary. 

It is twenty-five miles long and about fifteen miles wide, and contains an area 
of 284 square miles, one-third of which is under cultivation. 

The surface back from the streams is gently undulating. The soil of the county 
varies from a fight gray to a stiff red clay, and is fairly fertile, especially on the 
rivers. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, tobacco, oats and hay, tobacco being the princi- 




*-3 



^ PS 



189 

pal money crop — the annual yield amounting to 1,000,000 pounds, and considered 
among the best of the dark tobacco sent to the Richmond markets. All the grasses 
do well here, but those principally grown are clover, timothy, herd's grass, millet 
and orchard grass. 

This is one of the finest apple counties in Middle Virginia, and peaches, {.ears, 
plums, grapes, berries, melons and other fruits yield just as well, and but little 
subject to damage from insects. 

Vegetables are also easily and abundantly grown. Railroads are the Southern 
in the southeastern portion, the Chesapeake and Ohio skirting the northern border, 
and the Farmville and Powhatan through the center of the county, affording 
ample transportation facilities to Richmond and other markets. 

Minerals are coal, mica, kaolin, iron and granite. The coal and mica have been 
developed and successfully mined. There are several sulphur and chalybeate 
springs in the county, the most important being the Huguenot. The sulphur 
springs near Ballsville also possess valuable medicinal qualities. Timbers are oak, 
pine, hickory, chestnut, beech, etc. 

The James and Appomattox rivers on the north and south borders, and their 
many tributary creeks, furnish ample water supply and excellent water power 
for manufacturing purposes. 

The industries of the county are important, the most extensive being the Pow- 
hatan Clay Manufacturing Company, located at Clayville, which works from 
seventy-five to one hundred hands regularly in the manufacture of brick. Also 
the Belmead Wagon Works, located at Belmead, on James river, seven miles from 
the county seat, is doing a thriving business in the manufacture of wagons, carts, 
jumpers, etc. Connected with this plant is a large saw and grist mill. There 
are several other grist mills in the county, besides two fine roller flour mills, doing 
a large business. Another factory worthy of notice is the hardwood works, located at 
Powhatan Courthouse, that manufactures croquet sets, shuttle blocks, etc., from 
dogwood, hickory, ash, white oak and persimmon wood. They work a considerable 
force of hands and handle large orders, some for export. Other industries are a 
spoke factory, and pipe factory, at which the famous and "original Powhatan" 
pipe is made. 

The climate is very mild, admitting of outdoor work during the winter months, 
and stock does well with very little feed. 

Chinches of the various Protestant denominations are numerous and conven- 
iently located to all sections. Public schools are ample and convenient to the 
school population; also there are many private schools. This county, as the 
number of Indian relics indicate, was at one time the hunting and battleground 
of the Red Man, and is happily named for one of their greatest chiefs. 

The people are largely the descendants of the French Huguenots, noted for 
their kindness and genuine hospitality; and with its splendid natural advantages 
and cheap lands, capital and well-directed energy only is lacking to bring it to 
the forefront of the counties of the State. 

Population, census of 1910, 6,099. 

Powhatan, the county seat, is located near the center of the county, and near 
the Farmville and Powhatan railroad, eleven miles from Dorset station on the 
Southern railway, ten miles from Michaux ferry on James river, and eight miles 
from Rock Castle depot, C. & O. R. R. It is a small country village of about 
125 inhabitants, and has a saw and grist mill and wood-working factory. 



PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1753 from Amelia, and is situated in the south-central 
part of the State, sixty miles southwest from Richmond. It is twenty-five miles 
long and about twelve miles wide, and contains an area of 345 square miles (one- 
third of which is in cultivation). The surface is rolling; soil, varied; gray loam, 
red and chocolate loams, or sandy; generally productive and well adapted to the 
various farm products. Tobacco yields from 300 to 1,000 pounds per acre; wheat, 



190 

eight to thirty bushels; corn, ten to fifty bushels; oats, ten to fifty bushels; 
potatoes, fifty to 300 bushels; and all forage crops, especially the legumes, are 
produced. But tobacco is the most profitable industry — the soil and climate 
being peculiarly adapted to it. The grasses — clover, timothy, red top, or herd's 
grass — are also profitably grown. This is not a natural grazing section save for 
sheep, and in that particular it ranks well. All the fruits and vegetables common 
to Virginia do well here. 

Transportation and market facilities are ample, and furnished by the Southern, 
Norfolk and Western, and Farmville and Powhatan railroads. The minerals 
are iron, mica, copper, kaolin, coal and building stone, but all as yet undeveloped. 
Timber supply near the railroads has been much culled out, but in the central 
portion of the county pine, oak, hickory and poplar are in considerable abundance. 

Ample water supply is furnished by the Appomattox river in the northern 
part, and numerous small streams in the middle and southern portions; these 
latter affording considerable water power, on which are located several flour and 
sawmills of large capacity. Climate temperate and exceedingly healthful. Springs 
abundant and of purest freestone water. 

Churches of all Protestant denominations are ample for the population. Ed- 
ucational advantages are very superior — with Hampden-Sidney College, the 
State Female Normal, and a fine system of public free schools and five high schools. 
Mail facilities ample — four daily mails. Telephone service now well organized 
and very useful. 

Financial condition of the county is very favorable, and above the average 
county in the State. There are five first-class banks in the county. Few counties 
in the State are superior in the requisites for health, wealth and happiness. 
Intelligent and refined society, a normal and hospitable people, good lands 
and good improvements at cheap rates, are strong inducements to the 
intending settler, a number of whom from the North and West have already 
availed themselves of the advantages offered, and purchased farms in the neighbor- 
hood of Green Bay (on the Southern railway), in this county. 

Population, census of 1910, 14,266. 

Farmville, the principal town and county seat, is situated in the northern part 
of the county, on the Appomattox river, at the junction of the Norfolk and Western . 
and Farmville and Powhatan railroads. It is a thriving town of 2,471 inhabitants 
(census of 1900), and a place of considerable importance as a tobacco manufactur- 
ing center, being the fifth largest in the State, and an educational center. 

The State Female Normal School is located here, and Hampden-Sidney College, 
six miles distant, reached by a good macadamized road, both thrifty and popular. 

The Farmville Lithia Springs are noted for the curative properties of their 
waters, which are shipped to all parts of this and foreign countries. It has water 
works, paved streets and electric lights, a high school, several public schools, 
newspapers, bank, numerous churches and fraternal orders, and a business men's 
association; also a number of tobacco factories, wood-working establishments, 
fertilizer factories, woolen mills, a cannery and mill. Other towns are Prospect 
and Worsham. 



PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1702 from Charles City, and is located in the eastern 
portion of the State, seventeen miles southeast from Richmond, on the south 
bank of the James river, which separates it from its mother county. It is trian- 
gular in shape, and contains an area of 302 square miles. 

The surface is generally level. Soil, sandy loam and clay subsoil, generally 
thin, though there are extensive tracts of valuable alluvial lands on the rivers. 

Farm products are corn, cotton, peanuts, tobacco, wheat, oats and the grasses, 
the light warm lands of the southern portion being best adapted to the peanut 
and cotton industries. The lands are well adapted to apples, pears, peaches, 
plums, quinces and grapes, and berries, both wild and cultivated, are abundant. 
The section adjacent to the river landings and Petersburg are cultivated largely 



191 

in trucking. Fish are abundant in the inland ponds and James and Appomattox 
rivers; and the marshes furnish water fowl of the choicest varieties. 

Grazing facilities and the production of improved grasses is considerable, and 
live stock of all kinds do well. Transportation facilities, supplied by the navigable 
rivers (the James and Appomattox), and the Norfolk and Western railway and 
Atlantic Coast Line, are ample, and convenient to all parts of the county, affording 
easy access to the local and the northern and southern markets. 

Marl of various sorts is abundant, and has been extensively used with good results. 
Fine white sandstone and valuable clays of several kinds have been developed 
to some extent. Timbers are pine, poplar, oak, walnut, gum, persimmon and 
other hard and soft woods, much of which is shipped north. 

The James and Appomattox rivers and their tributaries on the north, Black- 
water river in the center, and the tributaries of the Nottoway river in the southern 
portion of the county afford ample water supply and drainage; and there is fine 
water power at Falls of Appomattox, as yet undeveloped. Numerous saw, grist 
and flour mills are located in the county; also cotton gins, peanut factory, brick 
kilns, etc. 

Climate is mild and equable, health good, and hygienic conditions carefully 
guarded. Water is soft, palatable and healthful. 

Churches of the various denominations are sufficient for the population. Educa- 
tional advantages (primary and grammar grade) very good. Mail facilities and 
telephone service ample, the latter consisting of local and long-distance service 
to Norfolk and Richmond. 

The farmers are improving their lands and becoming more prosperous; the finan- 
cial condition of the county very good and growing better. 

Population, census of 1910, 7,848. 

Prince George Courthouse, the county seat, a small inland village, is located in 
the northwest central portion of the county, and has several churches, a public 
school and Masonic lodge. The nearest market is Petersburg, seven miles distant 
with which it has daily mail communication. 

Other towns are City Point and Newville. The former, situated nine miles 
from Petersburg, at the junction of the James and Appomattox rivers, is a shipping 
point of considerable importance, with a depth of water at its wharves sufficient 
for the largest class of vessels, and was used by the Federal government as a base 
of supplies during the siege of Petersburg. 



PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1691 from Norfolk county, and lies in the extreme 
southeast corner of the State, 110 miles southeast of Richmond. It contains 
an area of 285 square miles, one-half under cultivation. 

The surface is level, soil dark loam, marshy and sandy in some sections — 
with red clay subsoil, easily tilled and generally productive, especially the swamp 
lands in Holland swamp, Eastern Shore swamp and Blackwater. There are also 
some fine lands on the borders of the creeks and inlets. Farm products are corn, 
oats, potatoes and trucks. 

The people are very extensively engaged in the latter, and large quantities 
of vegetables and fruits are annually shipped to the northern markets. For general 
trucks this is one of the finest sections of the State, especially the Pungo district. 
This county is noted for its fish — notably the catches in Back bay — and oysters 
of unequalled quality; and wild fowls of great variety are found in large quantities, 
the shipments of which produce large revenues to its citizens. 

Nature has been exceedingly lavish to this county in the bestowal of natural 
products, not only in large extent, but of superior quality. This is the home of 
the renowned Lynnhaven oysters and canvas-back ducks and other water fowls; 
the latter being in such abundance as to make gunning at certain seasons quite 
a profitable industry. Stock raising is principally restricted to the raising of cows 
for dairy and family purposes, although many stock cattle are fed. There are two 
dairies in the county. Considerable attention is paid also to hogs 



1&2 



Transportation facilities are ample and convenient to all sections of the county, 
consisting of Norfolk and Western and Southern railways through center, with 
branch extending south; also the Albemarle canal along the southern border, 
and numerous navigable bays and rivers, besides an ocean front of over twenty 
miles. These afford very superior market advantages. 

■ . Virginia Beach, a famous and attractive summer resort on the Atlantic shore, 
is in this county. It is connected with Norfolk by rail, and largely patronized. 
The timber consists of pine, cypress, oak, gum, cedar, elm, etc., and most abundant 
in the northeast portion of the county. North river running south, and the various 
sounds, bays and creeks afford ample water supply and drainage. Numerous 
sawwmills are in operation in the county. Barrels, boxes and crates are manu- 
factured; also large quantities of cypress shingles. 

The climate is temperate, health fairly good, and water fine in most sections. 
Churches and schools are numerous and conveniently distributed. The county 
is weU supplied with telephone communication, and mail facilities are good. 

Population, census of 1910, 11,526. 




~t& 






A FIELD OP SNAP BEANS IN PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY. 

Princess Anne, the county seat, is a small inland country place, situated near the 
center of the county, 118 miles southeast of Richmond and eighteen miles southeast 
of Norfolk. Near the village is a steam crate and barrel factory. There is also 
a public school and church. The nearest market is Norfolk. 

No other towns in the county except Kempsville, a small country village situated 
on a branch of the Lynnhaven river, eight miles south of Norfolk, Lynnhaven, 
a new summer resort, and Oceana, where numbers of new houses have been erected 
and where stands a new eight-room high school with all modern improvements. 
In the past few years education has received a stimulus which bids fair to make 
Princess Anne one of the foremost counties in the State in educational facilities. 
Consolidation has been the motto, and in a few years high schools will be accessible 
to every child in the county. 

With good lands easily tilled^ abundant supplies from the waters, cheap and 
convenient access to market, climate pleasant and salubrious, and a county show- 
ing considerable progress in many respects, it would seem that this is a section 
where all should be contented and prosperous. 



193 



PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1730 from Stafford and King George. It is located 
in the northeast portion of the State, seventy miles air line north from Richmond, 
and within about thirty miles from Washington, D. C, and extends from the Bull 
Run mountains on the north to the Potomac river on the south. It contains 
an area of 353 square miles. 

The lands of this section are low in price, but under a proper system of cultiva- 
tion can be made quite productive, and will undoubtedly increase in value and 
importance, owing to their close proximity to the National Capital. The surface 
is rolling, soil freestone and generally good. Some portions of the county contain 
as fine lands as are to be found anywhere in the State. 

The principal farm products are corn, wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, live stock, 
poultry and fruit. Average yield per acre; corn, forty bushels; wheat, thirty-two 
bushels; oats, twenty bushels; rye, twelve bushels; potatoes, 100 bushels; and 
hay, one and one-fourth tons. 

In the upper or northern end of the county, there are some fine blue grass lands, 
splendidly adapted to grazing and stock raising; hence cattle and sheep are raised 




THOROUGHBRED MARES AXD FOALS IX PI2DMOXT VIRGIXIA. 



in large numbers for the northern markets, and horses of all breeds, from draft 
horses to hunters and racers. Fruit of aU kinds succeed well, and then culture 
is receiving increased attention. Grapes have been found to do well, and quite 
a large acreage is devoted to the vine in different sections. 

Dairy products pay well, there being special facilities afforded by the Southern 
railway for placing the milk from stations in this section on the Washington market. 
Poultry raising has increased largely during the past few years, and is a profitable 
industry; in fact, the production of any food supplies for the Washington market 
brings good returns. 

Railroad facilities are excellent, and are furnished by the main line of the South- 
ern railway, which passes through the center of the county from northeast to south- 
west, and its Manassas division, extending northwest to its connection with the 
Baltimore and Ohio railway at Strasburg; while the Richmond, Fredericksburg 
and Potomac railway extends through the southeast portion, and on a line with 
the Potomac river. The principal railway stations in the county, other than 
Manassas, are Wellington, Gainsville, Haymarket and Thoroughfare, on the Ma- 
nassas branch; Bristow and Nokesville on the main line of the Southern, and Occo- 



194 

quan and Quantico on the R. F. & P. railway. These places are growing villages, 
and are the concentrating points for considerable amounts of produce, and, during 
the summer season, the country places tributary to them are popular resorts 
for city visitors. 

The Potomac river, on its southeast border, furnishes water transportation 
to that section and fine fishing shores. Minerals are gold, copper, barytes, slate, 
soapstone, brownstone, limestone, marble and coal, but undeveloped except 
brownstone and slate, which are being successfully worked. 

Timbers are pine, oak, hickory, chestnut and cedar. The county is well watered 
by the Potomac, the Occoquan and Bull Run rivers, and these streams also afford 
considerable water power. Its manufacturing enterprises are flouring mills, 
candy factory, capital $50,000; spoke factory, planing and sawmills, barytes 
mines (employing about 100 hands), and a garbage factory, located at Cherry 
Hill. Climate is mild, being free from high and low temperatures. Health is 
excellent. Water, freestone, from springs and wells, Church buildings are good 
and all the principal denominations represented. Educational advantages consist 
of State Agricultural Normal School, Catholic Institute, Manassas Institute, 
a good system of public free schools, and an industrial school for colored youths. 
Telephone service embraces local fines and Bell and Southern long-distance. Mail 
facihties ample and extending to all sections. Public roads are well located and 
in good condition. This county has greatly improved agriculturally within the 
past fifteen years, and the financial condition of her farmers is better than at any 
period since the war. Many Northern, western and English families have located 
in the county, cleared and put under cultivation large tracts of waste lands and 
erected thereon substantial improvements. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, 12,026. 

Manassas, the county seat, is situated at the junction of the main line of the 
Southern railway with the branch that extends westward through the Shenandoah 
valley. It is thirty- three miles southwest of Washington and is a trading center 
for a productive, populous section of the county. Among the industries are a 
spoke factory, two lumber mills, cigar factory, and confectionery factory; also 
near the town is a brownstone quarry. There are numerous churches and public 
and private schools, two banks, newspaper, Eastern College, State Agricultural 
and Normal School, fraternal orders and a large number of business houses. There 
are many fine residences both at Manassas and in the surrounding country, which 
is very picturesque and attractive. Quite a number of people from the North 
have located in this section within the past few years. Only a few miles distant 
from Manassas is the Bull Run battlefield, on which were fought two of the fiercest 
battles of the Civil War. Other towns of the county are Occoquan, Dumfries, 
Brentsville and Potomac. 



PULASKI COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1839 from Montgomery and Wythe, and named in 
honor of Count Pulaski, a hero of the Revolution. It is situated in the great 
Southwest valley, 200 miles, air line, southwest from Richmond. It is twenty- 
three miles long from north to south; twenty miles wide from east to west, and 
contains an area of 245 square miles, one-half under cultivation. Surface level 
and rolling, and in some parts mountainous. The soil is rich and very productive. 

Wheat and corn are the staple grain crops, the average yield of which is fifteen 
to twenty-five bushels of wheat per acre, and from thirty-five to fifty bushels of 
corn per acre; also oats, rye and millet are grown to a considerable extent. The 
soil is well adapted to the artificial grasses, and immense quantities of fine hay 
are annually produced; but the greatest agricultural wealth of this county con- 
sists in its splendid grazing facilities, being the natural home of what is termed 
the Kentucky blue grass. It is unsurpassed in this respect by any county in t he- 
State for the territory embraced. 

The quality of cattle produced is very fine — equal to any in the United States — - 
and the annual shipments are verv large, the great proportion being sold for export 



195 

to the English markets, and that sold in the Baltimore markets conceded to be 
unsurpassed and commanding top prices. A recent shipment of twenty-four 
cars from Dublin station averaged 1,465 poimds and brought the handsome 
sum of $33,000.00, and another shipment of nine hundred head from this county 
averaged 1,450 pounds each. Much attention is paid by the leading agriculturists 
of the county to the introduction of superior breeds of cattle; also of horses, sheep 
and hogs, of which they make fine exhibits at their annual coimty fair. Large 
numbers of fine riding and driving horses are found in this county, and the lamb 
and wool product is very extensive. 

All the fruits of this latitude, such as apples, peaches, pears, plums, quinces 
and the smaller fruits, grow to great perfection here, and this industry is growing 
very rapidly in interest and importance. The dairy products and early vegetables 
find a ready market at the home towns, and are a source of considerable revenue 
to the people. Other market advantages are the numerous furnaces and mines 
of the county that take a large proportion of the farmers' surplus, and at good 
prices. 

This county is well supplied with transportation facilities. The Norfolk and 
Western railroad (the great through fine of railway from the Atlantic seaboard 
to the south and east) passes through the heart of the county from east to west 
with two important branches — one, the New Kiver division which passes through 
the eastern portion of the comity and extends to the Pocahontas, Flat Top and 
other coal fields; and the other the Cripple Creek division, which leaves the main 
line at Pulaski and extends up New River, opening up the rich mineral section 
of the Cripple Creek valleys. There are also short lines of railway extending to 
the Altoona and Tyler Brush Mountain coal mines, eight and five miles in length, 
respectively. 

Noted as this county is for its great agricultural resources, it is no less so for 
its mineral wealth. Though small in the extent of its territory in comparison 
with other coimties of this section, Pulaski is making a wide and favorable repu- 
tation in this respect — its mineral development in the past few years probably 
equalling any county of the State. Within its boundaries are found iron and coal 
in extensive deposits; also zinc, lead, manganese, millstone, grindstone and whet- 
stone rock of superior quality, and fine building stone, both in the limes and 
sandstone, the latter unexcelled in quantity and quality. 

Timbers are oak, pine, poplar, locust, walnut and hickory, though all kinds 
of timber common to Virginia forests is plentiful. 

The county is well watered by New River (which skirts its southern and northern 
boundaries) and Little River, and their tributaries. Among the latter Back 
creek, Peak creek, Big and Little Reed Island creeks and Laurel are the most 
important. These streams are well adapted to fish, the celebrated New River 
catfish being plentiful in that stream, and other streams well stocked with black 
bass and many other choice varieties. They are also capable of supplying a great 
deal of valuable water power for mills and manufacturing purposes. 

Pulaski occupies a prominent, if not the leading position among her sister coun- 
ties in manufactories. Several large iron furnaces are located in this county, 
and are now, and through all the recent years of depression in the iron trade, 
have been in constant and successful operation. Here are also a system of zinc 
furnaces, (twelve in number) and one of the largest in the world, reducing the 
zinc ores of the New river basin to metallic zinc, or spelter, as it is called, which 
is recognized as the standard in the United States, as it is in a number of European 
countries, for alloy in its silver mintage. 

Other public works are a half dozen or more large roller flouring mills, many 
grist mills and sawmills, and a splendidly equipped foundry, making various 
kinds of machinery and fixtures for mills, furnaces, etc. 

The climate is dry, invigorating and comparatively mild. The elevation being 
1,800 to 2,000 feet above sea level, the atmosphere is pure and free from malaria, 
rendering it exceedingly healthful. Water, very fine, principally limestone, 
though freestone water is found in some sections. 

Splendid churches of all Protestant denominations, with good membership, 
Presbyterian and Methodist predominating. Educational advantages are good, 



196 

with the public schools in a flourishing condition; fine graded schools at several 
points in the county, and good school buildings. The Dublin Institute, at Dublin, 
is a high grade preparatory school, with an able faculty of seven or eight teachers 
and has an annual enrollment of over 200. There are three banks in the county, 
two at Pulaski and one at Dublin. Local telephone service excellent throughout 
the county, and long-distance service through the Virginia and Tennessee Telephone 
Company, to points east and west. Mail facilities are satisfactory, with ten daily 
mails to Pulaski (the county seat), and a daily mail at nearly every other post- 
office in the county. The financial condition of the county is excellent and public 
roads are good. 

There are several mineral springs containing alum, lithia and iron, the most 
noted of which is Hunter's Alum Springs near Little Walker's creek, eight and 
a half miles from Pulaski, which has had a growing reputation among the sick 
dating back fifty years. 

Population of county, over 17,246. 

Pulaski, the chief town and county-seat, is located in the western part of the 
county on the Norfolk and Western railroad, 316 miles from Norfolk and ninety-two 
miles from Bristol, and is the terminus of the Cripple Creek railroad, extending 
into the noted iron and zinc ore fields of that section, and of the Altoona railroad, 
extending to nearby coal fields on the north. It is a beautiful and flourishing 
town of 5,000 inhabitants, and has nearly doubled its population since last census. 
It is extensively engaged in manufactories, having twelve zinc furnaces .in one 
plant in operation, and two large iron furnaces, which have been running contin- 
uously since they were put in blast ten or twelve years ago, except when out for 
repairs; a large sulphuric acid plant that makes its product from an ore high in 
sulphur content that is found in inexhaustible quantity along the Cripple Creek 
road not far from Pulaski, and this plant proposes to greatly enlarge its capacity 
within the next year. Other manufactories are two large roller flour mills, foundry, 
and two large wood-working manufactories. These operations, especially the iron 
and zinc furnaces, employ a large number of laborers, many of them skilled 
workmen, at good wages. No town in Virginia is more favorably located for manu- 
facturing purposes on a large scale. Pulaski boasts of one of the finest court- 
houses and hotels in the State; a new gravity system water plant that furnishes 
abundant freestone water; ample fire protection. A new Hydroelectric plant 
is projected and will be shortly installed. Pulaski has several miles of splendid 
granolithic walks, also a number of handsome business houses and residences, 
many of them built of stone from the sandstone quarries near by. The public 
schools of the city are good and well patronized, with handsome buildings, well 
equipped. There are also several excellent private schools. Churches are numer- 
ous, with good buildings — six white, embracing Baptist, Christian, Episcopal, 
Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian; and three colored churches — two Bapitst 
and one African Methodist. Recent additions are the Pulaski Opera House, 
two wholesale grocery firms, and a large carriage and machinery building. The 
Crabtree Mineral Springs, near by, are improved and popular. Other enterprises 
are a newspaper, two banks, doing a large business, and several fraternal orders. 

Other towns are Newburn, Churchwood, New River, Dublin, Snowville and 
Allisonia. Some of these towns have manufacturing enterprises, and all have 
considerable population and are of good business importance. 



RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1831 from Culpeper, and is located in the northern 
portion of the State, 100 miles northwest from Richmond, and contains an area 
of 264 square miles — 850 farms, average size farms 195 acres. Average price 
improved farm lands $10 per acre. Average assessed value of lands $6.75 per acre. 

The surface is undulating, soil generally fertile and produces fine crops of corn, 
wheat, oats, tobacco, rye and buckwheat. The soil and climate are especially 
adapted to the growth of fruit, and all kinds succeed well. 



197 

There are large areas of fine grazing lands in the county, and fat cattle, sheep 
and hogs, in large numbers, are annually shipped to the eastern markets. 

Kaolin and iron have been found, but as yet are undeveloped. Timbers are 
oak, chestnut, pine, hickory, poplar and walnut, and are of good quality and of 
considerable quantity, especially along the line of the Blue Ridge mountains. 
Owing to inconvenient transportation facilities, very little timber is shipped 
from the county, but is manufactured into lumber by the numerous sawmills in 
operation. The mountain sections furnish large quantities of tanbark for market 
and local tanneries. 

The county is well watered by the head waters of the Rappahannock river, 
which also affords most excellent water power. In climate, health and water 
it is everything that could be desired. 

Society is excellent, and all sections of the county well supplied with churches 
and schools. Mail facilities are ample, and as transportation of the products 
of the country is wholly by wagons, considerable attention is paid to the turnpike 
and other public roads, which are kept in better condition than most counties 
with as broken surface; and although without railroad facilities, this fine county 
offers great inducements to settlers on its fertile lands, and the grazing is practically 
convenient to the Baltimore, Washington and Georgetown markets. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 8,044. 

Washington the county seat, is located near the center of the county, twenty- 
six miles from Culpeper, on the Southern railway, and eighteen miles from Kimball 
on the Norfolk and Western railroad, with which place it has daily mail com- 
munication. 

Population, census of 1900, 300. Increase since last census, forty-eight. 

Other towns are Flint Hill, Woodville and Sperryville. At the latter place 
there is a large tannery and many shops for the smaller mechanical industries. 



RICHMOND COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1692 from old Rappahannock. It is situated fifty 
miles northeast from Richmond in the section known as the northern Neck. 
It is thirty miles long by about seven miles in width, and contains an area of 188 
square miles, one-third in cultivation. Average price improved farm lands $11 
per acre. Average assessed value $5.50 per acre. Surface undulating; soil a sandy 
loam with clay subsoil, and very fertile on the low grounds. 

Farm products are wheat, corn, rye, oats, peas, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, 
and grasses of various kinds. Trucking is of considerable importance and largely 
on the increase. The most important and profitable products of the county 
are the fish and oysters, in which its streams abound in large quantities and of 
superior quality. Game is abundant and water fowl of choice varieties. Grazing 
facilities are fairly good. The usual farm stock — horses, cattle, hogs and sheep — 
are grown, the latter especially are found to be quite profitable. 

There are no railroads, but water navigation is convenient via the Rappahannock 
river and inlets, the former being navigable for large vessels. Market advantages 
are excellent by a daily line of steamers to Baltimore, Fredericksburg and Norfolk. 

Marl is found in large quantities and is used with good effect on the land. Tim- 
bers consist of oak, hickory, chestnut, gum, ash, maple, pine, dogwood and elm, 
the pine and oak being converted into lumber by the numerous sawmills 
in the county. Rappahannock river and numerous creeks afford ample water 
supply. There are berry and vegetable canneries and a barrel manufactory 
for truck and oyster barrels. The climate is mild, health and water good, churches 
convenient; and educational advantages consist of Farnham Academy and numer- 
ous public schools. Telephone service and mail facilities ample, and public roads 
kept in good repair. This county shows considerable progress, and its people 
are prosperous and contented. There is much to recommend it to home-seekers 
in its mild climate, fertile soil — easy of cultivation — cheap and abundant living 
and convenient access to market. 



198 



Population, census of 1910, 7,415. 

Warsaw, the county seat, is an inland country village, situated near the center 
of the county, six miles from the river, and contains a population of about 150, 
one public school, newspaper, fraternal order, and several churches. 



ROANOKE COUNTY. 

This county, formed from Botetourt in 1838, is situated west of the Blue Ridge 
mountains in the famous Roanoke valley, 175 miles almost due west from Richmond. 
It is twenty miles long and about fifteen miles wide, and contains an area of 297 
square miles. Altitude at Salem, 1,006 feet. The surface is undulating, being 




VIRGINIA APPLES ON EXHIBITION. 

divided into valleys and mountains, the latter principally on its boun dries. Soil 
alluvial, clay loam and limestone, very fertile, especially the valleys. 

This is a splendid agricultural county, producing large crops of all the staple 
products — wheat, corn, oats, rye, hay, etc. This county has, in recent years, 
made great progress in fruit culture, all varieties of which known to this climate 
do well; such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, grapes and the 
smaller fruits. Vegetables also are grown to great extent and perfection, which, 
together with peaches, berries, etc., are put up in large quantities by the various 
canning establishments located in the county, and Botetourt county, adjacent. 
The apple culture especially has created much interest in the county, and it is 
coming to be one of the foremost apple-growing counties in the State, containing 
some of the largest orchards in the United States. Large shipments of apples 
are annually made to the markets of Europe direct from the orchards, yielding 
to the grower from $5,000 to $15,000 for the year's crop. Trucking is quite an 



199 

important industry, and Roanoke City and the coal fields furnish excellent markets 
for this and other farm products. 

Grazing facilities in this county, in common with all others in this section of the 
State, are superior, especially in the blue grass section in this northern part. 
Cattle and sheep are raised extensively, and have direct and quick transportation 
via Shenandoah Valley railroad to the large markets besides supplying the local 
demand in Roanoke and Salem. 

Most excellent transportation facilities are furnished by the different lines of the 
Norfolk and Western system traversing the county, which include the main line 
east and west — the Shenandoah valley division leading northeast to the great 
cities of that section, and the Roanoke and Southern south through the tobacco 
counties of the southern Piedmont and into North Carolina, and the new Virginian 
railroad, which runs the entire length of the county. 

The minerals of the county are iron, manganese, barytes, marble, slate and 
limestone, the most valuable and important of which are its iron ores, magnetic 
and hematite, which are in great abundance and of superior quality, and are 
being extensively developed and worked. There are several mineral springs in 
the county, of high reputation for their medicinal properties, the most important 
of which are the celebrated Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs, peculiarly adapted 
to consumptives, which has been recently acquired by the State and converted 
into a sanatorium. The most valuable varieties of timber are walnut, poplar, 
oak, chestnut, pine and hickory. 

The coimty is watered and drained principally by the Roanoke river and its 
numerous tributaries passing through the center of the county and flowing south- 
east, and to some extent by tributaries of the James, running north. These 
streams furnish some very fine water powers, and are good fishing streams for 
bass and other varieties. Trout are also found in the mountain streams. Manu- 
factories consist of flour mills and sawmills, roller mill supplies, woolen mills, 
steam tannery, a fertilizer mill, foundry, and a number of canneries. The climate 
is an average temperature, health excellent, water very fine. Churches are numer- 
ous, and include all the principal evangelical denominations. Educational advan- 
tages are very superior. In addition to its excellent public school system, there 
are male and female colleges of a high order, notably Roanoke College, located 
at Salem, and Hollins Institute, located six miles from the city of Roanoke in a 
most beautiful and picturesque section, and Virginia College, for the education 
of women, on the outskirts of Roanoke. These schools are conducted exclusively 
in the interest of the higher education of young ladies and are thoroughly equipped. 
The mail facilities and telephone service of the county are excellent, and good 
county roads, including a splendid macadamized road, extend through the whole 
length of the county. The county is free from debt, and progress and advancement 
are apparent everywhere. 

Population of the county (independent of Roanoke City), census of 1910, 19,623. 
The above is a good exhibit of growth in population, as part of the county 
has been annexed to Roanoke City since last census, and the population thereof 
included with that city in the recent census. 

Salem, the county seat, is situated near the center of the county, in the beautiful 
Roanoke valley, through which flows Roanoke river, and around which rise the 
Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains. Lying 1,100 feet above the sea, it is deserv- 
edly noted for its salubrious and healthful climate, and is surpassed by no town in the 
State for beauty of situation, and wide expanse, fertility and picturesque scenery 
of the surrounding country. It lies on the main line of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad, and is connected by an electric railway fine with Roanoke, six miles 
distant. The streets are well paved and macadamized. The water is of excep- 
tional abundance and the quality, being supplied by several large springs owned 
by the town. Salem is noted not only for the intelligence and refinement, but 
also for the high moral and religious tone of its population. Its eleven churches 
are well attended, represented by the Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, 
Episcopal and Catholic. Its educational advantages are of a very high order, 
it being the seat of Roanoke College, an institution for the education of males, 
widely known and justly celebrated as one of the leading colleges of the State; 



201 

during its existence of a half a century, having attracted students from almost 
half the State of the Union, and several foreign countries. The college buildings 
are spacious, imposing brick structures; the grounds attractive, with beautiful 
greensward and luxurant growth of forest and ornamental trees. Its able corps 
of instructors, laboratory, extensive library, location, and excellent moral and 
religious influence of the community, render it a most desirable school for the 
young men of our State. Other schools are the Salem Female Seminary, the Baptist 
Orphanage and the Lutheran Orphanage. These are comparatively young but 
growing institutions, in numbers and reputation. The graded schools (white and 
colored) rank among the first of the State for efficiency and good management. 
The town is supplied with excellent hotels, and three strong banks, one news- 
paper and fraternal orders. 

There are a number of flourishing industries and enterprises at Salem, some of 
them very extensive, affording employment to considerable expert labor. The 
most prominent are the machine works, steam tannery, woolen mills, carriage 
and wagon works, brick works, roller flour mills and ice plant. 



ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Augusta and Botetourt in 1778, and named 
from its great natural curriosity. the Natural Bridge. This is one of the great 
valley counties lying between the Blue Ridge and Alleghany mountains, 159 
miles due west from Richmond. It is thirty-one miles in length and twenty- two 
in width, and contains 593 square miles (about three-fourths in cultivation and 
pasturage). Average size farms, 150 acres. Average price of improved lands, 
$25.00 per acre. Average assessed value, $12.00 per acre. Farming lands have 
increased steadily in value — some farms exchanging hands at $50.00 per acre, 
and it is not an unheard of thing for farms to sell at $65.00 per acre. 

The surface is rolling and in parts mountainous, especially on the eastern and 
western borders. The soil is chiefly limestone, very fertile and highly improved, 
especially in the central portion of the county. Like all the valley counties, this 
is a rich agricultural and pastoral county, producing fine crops of grain and all 
the cultivated grasses. Fruits of all kinds do well, and farm dairying and poultry 
raising are sources of considerable profit. This county has much very fine blue 
grass grazing lands, which render stock raising profitable and the chief farm 
industry. 

Transportation facilities are very superior, embracing the Chesapeake and 
Ohio, the Baltimore and Ohio, and Norfolk and Western railroads. 

The mineral recources of this county are important and constitute one of its 
sources of wealth. Its various mineral deposits include iron ore of exceptionally fine 
quality, tin ore, manganese, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, marble and limestone. 
Several of these have been developed and are being successfully worked. The 
mineral waters of this county are numerous, embracing the Rockbridge Alum, 
Wilson's White Sulphur and Rockbridge Baths — all places of popular resort 
for health and pleasure. The Natural Bridge hotels furnish a large, popular resort. 

The scenery of Rockbridge is grand and picturesque, and the county contains 
several points of great interest to the traveler and pleasure-seeker, among which 
the most noted is the Natural Bridge, a natural rock arch 215 feet high and 100 
feet wide, spanning Cedar creek, a small mountain stream, ninety feet. It is 
famous as being one of the greatest natural curiosities in the world, of which 
Marshall said: "It is one of God's greatest miracles in stone." Other interesting 
points are Balcony Falls on the James, and Goshen Pass on North river. 

Timber is fairly abundant, of which the principal and most valuable species 
are oak, pine, poplar, walnut, hickory and chestnut. This county is unusually 
well watered by the James river through its southern border, North river in the 
central portion, and by their very numerous tributaries, streams and springs; 
excellent water power is afforded (some of which is utilized), and good supplies 
of fish, especially of bass, are found. The most important manufactories of the 



203 

county are iron furnaces and lime kilns. There are also numerous grain and 
sawmills. 

The climate is fine, being dry, healthful and invigorating, and water excellent. 
Churches are numerous; also educational advantages of a high order. Telephone 
service and mail facilities afford ample communication to all sections. 

This county is not only one of the largest, but ranks as among the most populous 
and flourishing in the State. It is developing in wealth and progressing in every 
way. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 21,171. 

Lexington the county seat, is situated on North river, near the center of the 
county, surrounded by a beautiful and fertile country. It is a thriving, growing 
and beautiful little city of 3,203 inhabitants (census 1900). It has excellent 
railroad facilities, being located on the Chesapeake and Ohio and the Valley 
division of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. It is lighted by electricity and has 
an ample supply of perfectly pure spring water supplied from wooded water- 
sheds. It has well paA^ed streets, large public schools and school buildings, beau- 
tiful churches (notably Grace Memorial church, Episcopal, which was erected in 
memory of General Robert E. Lee), three banks of large capital, two newspapers, 
several fraternal orders, a successful wholesale grocery, large flouring mill and 
woodworking plant. But perhapse Lexington's most notable feature, and of 
which she is justly proud, are its two famous institutions of learning, the Virgin- 
ia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University — the former a State 
institution, founded in 1839 and controlled by a board of visitors appointed by 
the Governor; the latter chartered in 1782 as Liberty Hall Academy, first endowed 
by Washington and later receiving the added lustre of the name of Robert E. Lee, 
its president for six years after the war. It is now a handsomely endowed, splen- 
didly equipped and extensively patronized university. Lexington is also noted 
as the home of Stonewall Jackson before the war, and of Robert E. Lee after the 
war, and is the burial place of both. 

Other towns of this county are Buena Vista, Glasgow, Goshen, Collierstown, 
Brownsburg, Raphine and Fairfield. 



ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Augusta in the year 1778 — 132 years ago — and 
is almost as old as the Federal government, and lies west of the Blue Ridge moun- 
tains in the Shenandoah valley, about 130 miles northwest from Richmond. 
It borders on the State of West Virginia on the northwest, from which it is separ- 
ated by the North or Shenandoah mountains. It contains an area of 870 square 
miles. 

Its surface is rolling and mountainous on the southeast and northwest borders. 
The greater portion is valuable farm land and in cultivation, very fertile, and as 
a grain-producing county it has no peer. In the production of wheat, and average 
yield per acre, it ranks probably as high as any county in the State. Its best 
farms have produced as high as forty-five bushels per acre, and twenty-five bushels 
is considered a fair average. Its yield of corn, rye and barley are in like proportion 
— the latter embracing nearly half the product of the State. Not only is this a 
notably fine grain-producing county, but it is peculiarly a grass and stock section, 
and this is perhaps the principal source of its great prosperity. Hay is grown 
in great abundance, and being a natural blue grass soil, large numbers of choice 
cattle, horses, sheep and hogs are annually shipped from this county to the northern 
markets. Some of Virginia's finest horses are reared in this county, and it is 
considered one of the largest and best horse markets in the State, having regular 
sale days at Harrisonburg, at which the sales have been known to aggregate in 
one day $25,000 to $30,000, principally to northern buyers, and at an average 
price of $100 per head. 

Fruits of all kinds do well. No section of the State is better adapted to this 
industry, and it is receiving increased attention. Railroad facilities are excellent, 



204 

with two main lines (the Baltimore and Ohio and Shenandoah Valley railroads) 
extending through the county from north to south, and these connected by a 
cross line, affording ample facilities for marketing the large quantities of grain 
and other products, and the vast number of cattle, horses, sheep and hogs annually 
shipped to the markets. The extension of the C. & W. will, in the early future 
bring this county in direct communication with the coal region of the west and 
Richmond in the east. This county has also great possibilities in the way of 
undeveloped mineral resources. It has iron, manganese, copper, coal, lead, ochre 
marble of several varieties, and limestone abundant in every section. Mineral 
waters of great virtue are found, the most celebrated being Rawley Springs, eleven 
miles from Harrisonburg. 

Much of the original growth of timber has been culled out, but there still exists 
a considerable quantity, especially in the mountain region, such as oak, chestnut, 
pine, poplar, cedar, etc. 

The county contains a number of rivers and creeks. Of the former the principal 
streams are the Shenandoah, North and South rivers, and it is thus well watered 
and supplied with power for milling and manufacturing purposes. Manufactories 
are numerous and important, embracing more than thirty roller mills with a 
capacity of 50 to 175 barrels flour each per day. A large number of sawmills, 
several large tanneries, woolen mills, fertilizer plant, furniture factory, agricultural 
implement factories, plaster mill, foundries and furnaces, canning establish- 
ments, and creamery and cheese plants. 

The climate is exceedingly healthful and invigorating — cooler in summer and 
winter than the eastern section of the State, and warmer than the mountains. 
Malarial diseases are entirely unknown. Water excellent and principally lime- 
stone. Churches are numerous and convenient, all Protestant denominations 
having houses of worship throughout the county. The public schools of the county 
rank very high, having been pronounced by the United States Commissioner of 
Education (Harris) the best in the State. Telephone service is cheap and efficient, 
extending over this and adjoining counties, and it is claimed that Rockingham 
has more rural telephones than any county in the United States. Mail facilities 
are of the best, ten rural free delivery routes having been established in this 
county, reaching ahnost every section of it and making it the banner county of the 
State in this respect. 

This is a very progressive county in the improvement of its highways, good 
buildings, and general appearance of thrift and prosperity. Financial condi- 
tion of county and people is excellent. Wealth is probably more evenly distributed 
than any other county of the State. Of the $1,000,000 on deposit in the banks, the 
greater part belongs to the farmers of the county, and all the money wanted can 
be gotten from the banks at five per cent. Its roads are among the best in Virginia, 
and furnish good and convenient highways to the various markets throughout 
the county. Its people are law-abiding, conservative, hospitable and progressive. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 34,903. 

Other towns are Bridgewater, population 800; Broadway, population 400; 
Dayton, population.425; Singer Glen, population 108; Timberville, population 
173; also Mount Crawford, McGaheyville, Dovesville, Keezeltown, Mount Clinton, 
Linville and Port Republic. 

As Rockingham ranks high among the counties of the State in point of area, 
so it claims a place near the head of the list in wealth, industry and progress. 
Forty-five years ago, owing to the ravages of war, it lay ahnost a barren waste; 
to-day, instead of lands and property devastated, plenty smiles on every hand, 
and but for the monuments of her heroes and history, no one would ever dream, 
when surveying its broad acres of waving grain and grass, that it had undergone 
the devastating influence of war. At the close of that war its citizens were impover- 
ished, its finances depleted and there was a gloomy prospect for the future; but 
with that energy characteristic of her people, houses and barns soon again dotted 
the landscape; fields were fenced and planted, and since that time Rockingham 
has been taking a leading part in every line of material advancement. To the 
enterprising farmer, one who farms on a business basis, this county offers rare 
advantages; indeed, among the counties of the State none offers greater induce- 
ments to prospective settlers. 



205 

RUSSELL COUNTY. 

This county .was formed in 1786 from Washington. It is situated in the south- 
western portion of the State, 370 miles southwest from Richmond, and bounded 
north by Buchanan and Dickenson, from which it is separated by a mountain 
range known as Sandy Ridge, south by Washington (Clinch mountain forming 
the dividing line), west by Scott and Wise, and east by Tazewell county. This 
is a large county, being forty miles long from east to west, and twenty miles wide 
from north to south, containing an area of 503 square miles — 370,153 acres; 1,579 
farms; average size farms, 185 acres; unimproved lands, $8.00 to $12.00 per acre; 
improved lands, $15.00 to $50.00 per acre; average assessed value, $5.00 per acre; 
about three-quarters of area in cultivation. 

The surface to a considerable extent is broken. There are some very fertile 
sections in the valley and along the streams, producing fine crops of grain and grass, 
far exceeding the average in most of the counties of the State. Especially is it 
noted for its extensive area of fine blue grass lands, upon which are raised large 
numbers of fine cattle that are annually shipped out to supply the export markets. 

The principal farm products are wheat, corn, oats, hay, rye and potatoes, that 
find a ready and remunerative market in the coal mining region near by. Fruits 
of all kinds common to this latitude do well, especially apples, peaches, grapes, 
etc. Fish, such as black bass, cat and red-eye, abound in large quantities in the 
Clinch and its tributaries. The grazing and feeding not only of cattle, but of horses, 
sheep and hogs, is extensively carried on, and the quality and breeding is except- 
ionally fine. Stock raising, especially of cattle, is the principal industry of the 
county. The numbers of cattle annually sold from the county is from 10,000 to 
12,000 head, of which about 3,000 are snipped to European markets. Of sheep 
there are about 10,000 and horses and mules, about 5,000. 

Railroad facilities are furnished by the Clinch Valley division of the Norfolk 
and Western raikoad, which traverses the county from east to west. The minerals 
of this county are extensive and valuable, embracing iron ore (red and brown 
hematite), manganese, coal, lead, zinc, salt, sandstone, limestone, marble and 
barytes. Timber is abundant and of the most valuable varieties, such as walnut, 
poplar, cherry, locust, chestnut, white and chestnut oak, lynn, sugar and hem- 
lock, in its primitive size and beauty. 

This county is well watered, mainly by Clnich river and its tributaries, in the 
northern portion, and Moccasin creek, a branch of the Holston, in the southwest 
section. These streams and their tributary creeks afford numerous valuable 
water powers, reliable throughout the year, upon which are situated many grain 
and sawmills. Beautiful river scenery and fine landscapes are presented to the 
eye on every hand. Notably of the latter is Elk Garden, Rosedale and other 
sections, with their splendid grass lands limited by the high mountains and threaded 
by constant streams flowing from bold springs; not only filling up the measure 
of the beautiful, but carrying conviction of the great wealth and fertility of this 
section. This elevated mountain section is noted for its healthful and bracing 
climate and splendid water. Churches are numerous and educational advantages 
consist of the public school system in a flourishing condition, private schools and 
a young ladies' institute. 

Lebanon, the county seat, has a population of about 300, and is situated near 
the center of the county, a short distance from Cedar creek, and six miles from 
Cleveland, a station on the Clinch Valley division of the Norfolk and Western 
raikoad, with which it has daily mail communication. It is healthfully located, 
and contains churches of different denominations, a female college, newspaper, 
fraternal orders, hotels, stores, etc. 

Other towns are Hansonville, in the southwest side of the county on Moccasin 
creek, a handsome little village, with mill, stores, etc. Honakersville on Lewis 
creek, on the north side of the county — also Dickensonville and other places in 
the county, such as Honaker, Rosedale, Castlewood and Elk Garden, are convenient 
places of trade for the surrounding county. The Clinchfield Coal Company has 
a valuable plant at Dante, which has a capacity of 1,000 tons daily. The popula- 
tion of Dante is about 2,500, and it is by far the largest place in the county. 

Total population of county, census of 1910, 23,474. 



207 

SCOTT COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1814 from Washington, Russell and Lee, and is 
situated in the extreme southwest portion of the State, 350 miles southwest from 
Richmond, its southern boundary being the State of Tennessee. It has a popula- 
tion, census of 1910, of 23,814. It contains an area of 535 square miles, two- 
thirds of which is in cultivation. The surface is rather mountainous and hilly, 
although there are some fine farming and blue grass lands along Clinch river, 
which flows through the county from northwest to southwest, and on Holston river, 
in the southern part; and also a large amount of land in other sections, while not 
so smooth, is quite productive, yielding good crops of wheat, corn, rye, oats and 
buckwheat, especially the former two. It is especially noted for its large produc- 
tion of sorghum and maple sugar, also butter and other dairy products. There is 
a considerable area devoted to the cultivation of fruit, such as apples, peaches, 
pears, plums, cherries and some grapes. 

Grazing facilities are good and stock raising is an important and profitable 
industry, large numbers of cattle, sheep, horses and mules, of good grade, being 
marketed every year, and bringing into the county considerable revenue. 

Transportation facilities are furnished by the Virginia and Southwestern rail- 
road, extending from Bristol and passing through the county to Big Stone Gap, 
in Wise, and there connecting with the L. & N. system. This road gives a most 
excellent market in the coal fields of Wise for the products of the county. A 
new road, the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio railroad, has been completed, and is 
now in operation — also a branch fine of the Virginia and Southwestern, known as 
the Holsten River railroad, is nearing completion. Eight miles of this road (Hol- 
sten River railroad) are in Scott county. This road will connect with the Southern 
railway at Persia, Tenn. 

This county is very rich in minerals, having an abundance ot iron ore (red and 
brown), manganese, lead, coal, marble of various kinds and of superior quality, 
barytes, fire-clay and limestone in abundance. Some of these have been developed 
and mined to some extent. Preparations are being made for extensive mineral 
developments at Fort Blackmore, work to begin early in 1910. There is fine 
coal, both cannel and bituminous; zinc, lead, copper and gold, and mineralogists 
have pronounced Scott the richest in mineral resources of any county in the 
Appalachian system. Salt is also known to exist in the southeast corner of the 
county, but to what extent is as yet undeveloped. There are several sulphur 
and chalybeate springs of known efficacy and reputation, the most important 
of which are the Holston Springs, on the Holston river, and Hagan's Springs 
on Stanton's creek, in the northern part of the county. Considerable areas abound 
in valuable timber, such as walnut, oak of the various varieties, pine, ash, cedar, 
lind, hickory, birch, sycamore, elm, etc. The county is well watered by Clinch 
river and the north fork of the Holston and their tributaries, and these streams 
afford unlimited water power for mills and manufacturing purposes. 

Manufactories consist of a large number of grain and sawmills; also several 
bark mills and wood cording machines. A great natural curiosity and one of the 
most wonderful in America is the great Natural Tunnel, over 900 feet long, twelve 
miles west of Gate City, the county seat, on Stock creek, and on the Virginia and 
Southwestern railroad, both of which pass through it, the only place on record 
where a railroad can go through a mountain opened by the hand of God. There 
can be no scenery more grand and imposing than that afforded by the approach 
to the tunnel on the lower side. An immense wall of limestone rock forms a high 
butting cliff for several hundred yards below, which has been colored in the course 
of time in beautiful tints of red and gray and brown by the waters carrying down 
its face different solutions of lime, iron and magnesia. It is situated about 1,400 
feet above sea level, and when it becomes generally known to the tourist, its 
perfectly beautiful and enchanting attractions will draw throngs of visitors. 

The climate of this county is equable, health uniformly good, and water excel- 
lent; large numbers of churches of the various denominations, fine public schools, 
and one college and six high schools; good telephone service and mail facilities. 
Financial condition of the county first-class and on a cash basis; and in the matter 
of progress and general advancement, conditions are highly favorable — as much 



209 

so as adjoining sections. It has a splendid population of hospitable, industries 
and law-abiding people, and with its large undeveloped resources, it will assume 
a high position under more favorable conditions of transportation. Gate City, 
the county seat, situated on a branch of the Holston river and on the Virginia 
and Southwestern railroad, which extends from Bristol to Big Stone Gap, is an 
attractive town of about 700 inhabitants, and has a factory, public school, news- 
paper, two banks and several churches and fraternal orders. 

Smaller towns are Clinchport, DufEeld, Nickelsville, and other places of con- 
siderable business importance. 



SHENANDOAH COUNTY. 

Shenandoah county, formed from Frederick in 1772, was originally called 
Dunmore, and name changed to Shenandoah in 1777. It lies in the northern 
part of tbe State 100 miles northwest from Richmond, and joins West Virginia. 
It contains an area of 486 square miles. The surface is rolling and mountainous 
in some parts, especially the eastern and western sections of the county. About 
one-half of the area is cleared and cultivated. The soil is mostly disintegrated 
limestone, very strong and durable, and a large proportion of the county is of 
the best class of bottom and valley lands of great beauty and fertihty. It is also 
noted for the high state of cultivation which characterizes its improved lands, 
and is justly called, in connection with the other valley counties, the Garden 
Spot of Old Virginia. 

This county ranks as among the best grain counties of the State, especially 
for wheat, which is exported principally in the shape of flour, and has a high 
reputation; also corn, oats and rye in large quantities are produced. The next 
and probably equally important industry of the county is stock raising, con- 
siderable attention being paid to the introduction of improved grades of cattle, 
sheep, horses and hogs from Kentucky and elsewhere, and this industry is rendered 
the more profitable on account of the excellent grazing facilities in the blue grass 
uplands. 

Fruit culture is receiving much attention, and hundreds of thousands of trees 
have been planted within the last few years. The Strathmore Orchard Company 
has now 550 acres planted in fruit trees, and the North Shenandoah Fruit Company 
have thousands of trees in their extensive orchards. Shenandoah ranks among 
the best fruit producing counties in the State. The apples are of the best quality 
and command the highest price. 

Railroads are the Southern and Baltimore and Ohio, which afford ample trans- 
portation facilities to all sections of the county. 

Minerals are iron ore, coal, manganese, lead, antimony, marble, limestone, 
marl, and some valuable clays. Some of these are being utilized, and others, as 
yet, very little developed. Timbers are oak, chestnut, pine, bickory, poplar, 
walnut, ash, etc., existing in fair quantity. 

Orkney Springs is a place of much resort for health by pleasure-seekers. The 
north fork of the Shenandoah river traversing the county its entire length, 
with its tributaries, afford ample water supply and good water power for manu- 
facturing purposes. The climate is temperate, healthful and invigorating, and 
the water excellent. Schools and churches are abundant, all denominations of 
the latter being represented. Telephone and mail service is extensive, affording 
ample facilities of communication with all parts of the county. 

There are a number of manufacturing concerns over the county as follows: 
Five lime kilns, hardwood factories, ten large flouring mills, ten smaller roller 
mills, most of which are run by water power. There are eight banks in the county, 
and six high schools. 

Population, census of 1910, 20,942. 

Woodstock, the county seat, is located near the center of the county on the 
Manassas branch of the Southern railway, and has a population of 1,400. Its 
streets are in good condition, paved with macadam, have brick sidewalks, and 



211 

lighted with electricity. A complete system of water works is in operation and 
a number of fine buildings have been erected, and others are under construction. 
Its principal industries are flour mills, broom and furniture factories, planing 
mill, lime kiln, fruit evaporator and sawmills. It has also good public schools, 
numerous churches, a newspaper, several banks and fraternal orders. 

Other flourishing towns of the county are Edinburg, Mt. Jackson, New Market, 
and Strasburg. At the latter place are located factories for the manufacture 
of porcelain, pottery, etc., several largo lime plants, producing a very superior 
quality of lime, and a large hardwood factory. 



SMYTH COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1831 from Washington and Wythe and is located 
in Southwestern Virginia, 240 miles from Richmond. The Clinch range of moun- 
tains rises to a height of 4,000 to 4,500 feet above sea level. The Iron mountain 
rises in its White Top and Balsam peaks (in the southwest corner) to the mag- 
nificent height of 5,540 and 5,720 feet, respectively, marking them as the highest 
in Virginia. 

The county is thirty-two miles in its greatest length from north to the south, 
and twenty-two miles wide from east to west, and contains an area of 486 square 
miles. The surface is mainly hilly, and mountainous in parts. The valleys of 
the north, middle and south forks of the Holston river, including Rich Valley 
on the north side of Walker's mountain, and Rye Valley on the south side of the 
county, show all the fine features characteristic of the best lands of the Valley 
of Virginia. There is a large area of level or river bottom land lying along each 
of these rivers, affording alluvial deposits of great depth and fertility, and capa- 
ble of constant cropping without deterioration. The lands are mainly in the 
limestone area and yield largely of the various crops produced — corn, wheat, 
oats, rye, buckwheat, hay and tobacco. Cabbage is a very remunerative crop, 
large quantities of which are produced and shipped from the county to Southern 
points and the coal fields every year. Dairy, orchard and vegetable products 
are very considerable and sources of much revenue to the farmers. Fish culture 
should become an important industry in this county. The streams are well adapted 
to game fish and are very well stocked with different varieties, such as bass, red 
eye, chub, suckers, and some mountain trout. 

The most profitable branch of labor in this county is stock raising and grazing. 
The area of limestone or strictly grass lands probably embrace more than half 
the county. In Rich valley, Saltville and other sections of the county are found 
thousands of acres of blue grass of indigenous growth, equalling in every respect 
the far-famed blue grass lands of Kentucky; and as a consequence large numbers 
of fine cattle are annually raised and exported. Much attention is paid to the 
grade of cattle, and this county can boast of having the largest herd of short 
horn cattle in the State, and is also noted for its fine horses and sheep. 

Transportation facilities are ample, with the Norfolk and Western railroad 
passing through the center of the county from east to west, bringing the county 
into communication with the eastern seaboard, and the western and southern 
lines of railway. Its Saltville branch, connecting at Glade Spring, Washington 
county, leads back into this county and will ultimately be extended. A new 
line of railroad, connecting with the Norfolk and Western at Marion, has been 
built into the Rye valley to reach the valuable timber and mineral of that section. 

This county possesses unusual importance on account of its great mineral 
wealth, the principal source of which is the immense deposits of salt and plaster 
at Saltville and vicinity. The latter is also developed and being mined in other 
sections of the county. These salt and plaster deposits are considered to be the 
most extensive and valuable to be found in the United States, immense quantities 
of each having been mined and manufactured for many years, bringing into 
the county a large annual revenue. There is also a large alkali plant at Saltville 
devoted to the manufacture of alkali, soda ash, bleaching powder, etc., erected 
at a cost of $3,000,000, and employing a large amount of labor. Besides her 
rich deposits of salt and plaster, she has within her borders valuable deposits 



213 

of iron ore of the different species (brown, red hematite, magnetite and iron 
pyrites), lead, zinc, barytes, manganese, marble, kaolin, in brick, clay, lime- 
stone and onyx stone. A full description of these minerals would require more 
than the allotted space for this subject. Some very fine timber is still to be found, 
especially in the mountain sections, consisting of walnut, poplar, ash, oak, pine 
hickory, hemlock and maple. 

The county is watered almost wholly by the different branches of Holston 
river (the north, middle and south forks), the two latter having their sources 
in the county, and all flowing southwestwardly toward Tennessee. In Rye 
valley, this county, are some of the head waters of Cripple creek, which flows 
eastwardly to New river. These streams, especially the Holston waters and 
their tributaries, afford extensive water power. 

Besides the extensive alkali and salt works at Saltville, there are other impor- 
tant manufactories in the county, such as iron furnaces and forges, woolen mills, 
tanneries, brick works, and the requisite number of good grist and sawmills. In 
the three important elements and attractions to any county — climate, health and 
water — it will not be amiss to say that this county equals any in the State. 
Churches representing the different religious denominations are very numerous, 
and the public school system is kept up to a high state of efficiency. Telephone 
service reaches nearly all sections, and mail facilities are extensive and all that 
could be desired. In all material, social and other respects, this may justly 
rank among the first of the counties of the southwest, or of the State, and very 
few sections of the United States deserves more favorable mention. Its increase 
in population shows that it is being appreciated. 

Population census 1910, 20,326. 

Marion, the county seat, is a thriving, handsome town of considerable business 
importance near the center of the county, on the middle fork of Holston river, 
275 miles southwest by rail from Richmond, on the line of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad and at the terminus of the Marion and Rye Valley railroad. It has a 
population (census of 1900) of 2,045, which is an increase since last census of 394. 
Its streets are lighted and macadamized. It has an excellent water supply, wood 
and other factories, a fine flouring mill, good hotels, churches, stores, newspapers, 
fraternal orders, female college, graded public school, and is the site of the South- 
western Lunatic Asylum. Much improvement is shown in the erection and 
repair of buildings; and the quarries, ore mines, and other works in and near the 
town have been very active and prosperous. A very handsome and complete 
brick courthouse, with stone trimmings, has just been completed at the cost of 
$50,000, and a large new furniture factory also has been finished and put in opera- 
tion during the last year. A very important and extensive new enterprise in 
Smyth is that of the Spruce Pine Lumber Company. They purchased a large 
tract of 30,000 arces of virgin spruce lying in Smyth and Grayson, and acquired 
the new Rye Valley railroad, extending about thirty miles into this region, where 
it is stated there is sufficient supply to last their extensive mills twenty years. 
These steam sawmills are located near Marion, and are turning out daily an im- 
mense quantity of lumber from the supply of timber brought over their own road. 

Saltville is an exceedingly attractive town, beautifully situated in a lovely 
vale, and is the center of an immense trade growing out of its alkali works, salt 
manufacturing, plaster mining, etc. It has a good hotel, tasteful church, handsome 
residences, stores, and numerous factories, with their appurtenances. Holston 
Mills and Chilhowie are also towns or considerable size and business. At the latter 
are situated the large flouring mills and the Virginia Vitrified Brick and Sewer Pipe 
Company, which ships its products of hard paving brick and pipe extensively in 
this State and beyond its borders. A new lumber sawing plant of importance 
has recently been established at Adkins, on the Norfolk and Western railroad. 



SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. 

Southampton was formed in 1784 from Isle of Wight. It lies in the south- 
eastern portion of the State, fifty miles from Richmond, thirty-six miles from 



214 

Norfolk, and borders the State of North Carolina on the south. It contains an 
area of 609 square miles. 

The surface is level; soil a medium light and sandy loam, with clay subsoil, 
naturally very productive, especially the broad and fertile lowlands on the streams. 

Farm products are cotton, peanuts, corn, rye, oats, potatoes and some wheat. 
Southampton ranks above all the other counties of the State in the production of 
cotton, raising over 5,000 bales annually. Cotton gins of the most modern type, 
are conveniently located in different parts of the county. Cotton and peanuts 
may be considered the most profitable products of the county, though large reve- 
nue is derived from other sources, notably truck, fruits and lumber. Some of the 
largest apple orchards of the State are found here, and other fruits, such as pears, 
peaches, grapes, plums, cherries and berries of all kinds are grown abundantly; 
also cranberries grow to great perfection on the alluvial bottoms. The soil and 
climate are admirably adapted to the raising of vegetables, and melons of the finest 
quality and flavor are produced. Sweet and Irish potatoes, and peas of every 
variety grow to great perfection and abundance. Many of the farmers are turning 
their attention to the cultivation of the grasses, which have been found to grow 
luxuriantly. 

Cattle do well, requiring little feed and attention during the winter months. 
Hogs are raised in large numbers, and a number of land owners are paying more 
attention to sheep husbandry, which is carried on very profitably by reason of 
the many fine grazing lands in different sections of the county. 

Transportation facilities are amply afforded by the Norfolk and Western, Sea- 
board Air Line, Virginian, and Southern railway, which traverse the county in 
many directions; also by steam navigation on the Blackwater river. 

Timber, such as oak, pine, walnut, chestnut, cypress, hickory, persimmon, 
ash, poplar, gum, sycamore, maple, etc., abounds in considerable quantity and 
variety, much of which is converted into lumber by the numerous sawmills in opera- 
tion. Some grain mills are also located in the county. Blackwater river on the 
eastern border, Meherrin river on the western, and Nottoway river flowing through 
the central portion, with numerous tributary streams, plentifully water every 
section, and furnish excellent drainage and abundant water power for mills and 
manufacturing purposes. The climate is salubrious, health good, and pure water 
unsurpassed, furnished by artesian wells. Every community has its churches. 
Southampton county stands at the forefront among Virginia counties in her ex- 
excellent public school system, there being six high schools, seven grammar graded 
schools and nineteen school wagons, which transport children from the most remote 
rural districts to these graded and high schools. In addition to this, the Franklin 
Female Seminary, located at Franklin, is an excellent high-grade school for girls 
and young women. There are fifteen rural free delivery routes in the county, 
and only one neighborhood which cannot be reached by telephone. Financial 
conditions are prosperous, and in progress and general advancement there is a 
manifest degree of prosperity, the last assessment of personal property showing 
considerable increase; and all things considered, this ranks as among the most 
thriving counties of the prosperous section of the State. 

Population, census of 1910, 26,302. 

Courtland, the county seat, located in the central portion of the county, on the 
Southern railroad. The streets are graded and sidewalks paved, and an excellent 
water supply is furnished from artesian wells. Besides the county building there 
are two hotels and three churches, numerous business houses, ginning plant and 
a graded public school, with buildings worth more than $15,000. 

Other towns in the county are Franklin, Boykins, Ivor, Drewryville, Capron, 
Branch ville and Newsoms. 

Franklin is the largest town in the county. It is on the main line of the Seaboard 
Air Line between Norfolk and Raleigh, N. C, and on the main line of the Southern 
railway between Norfolk and Danville. It is also located at the head of navigation 
on Blackwater river, through which it has communication and a lucrative trade 
by the boats of the Albemarle Steam Navigation Company to eastern North 
Carolina. Franklin is the site of the Camp Manufacturing Company's plant, 
one of the largest lumber firms in the South, and it also has a large buggy factory, 
two large peanut factories, modern cotton gins, machine shops, good banking 



215 

facilities and church advantages, a $25,000 public school building, is the home 
of the Franklin Female Seminary, and has electric lights, water and sewer system 
and granolithic sidewalks. 

Boykins, is growing rapidly; has a number of large mercantile firms, cotton 
gin, many pretty residences, is lighted by electric lights, and has splendid artesian 
water. Boykins is an important market for cotton, peanuts and other country 
produce, and is the connecting terminus of the Roanoke and Tar River railroad, 
an important branch of the Seaboard Air Line railway into eastern North Carolina. 

Capron is situated in a fine farming section. Has good graded school, several 
mercantile firms, cotton gins and a large lumber plant. 

Ivor is a thriving village on the Norfolk and Western railroad, and has a fine 
trade, large quantities of peanuts, being shipped from this point. A large lumber 
plant is located here, and the town has a fine graded school. 

On the Virginian railway, which traverses the entire county, from east to west, 
several new towns have sprung up, which promise to be important trading centers 
and are rapidly building up. These are Burdette, Sedley and Sebrell. 



SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY. 

Spotsylvania county was formed in 1720 from Essex, King William and King 
and Queen, and is situated about forty-five miles (almost due north) from Rich- 
mond. It is twenty-five miles long from north to south, and seventeen miles wide 
from east to west, and contains an area of 401 square miles (about one-half culti- 
vated). 

The surface is rolling and the soil productive and varied in kind and quality, 
the uplands being a stiff clay, while that of the bottoms and valleys is a sandy 
loam, the latter producing fine crops of corn and other products. Other products 
are wheat, oats, rye, potatoes, hay and tobacco. Fruits of all kinds, especially 
apples, pears and grapes, do well; also vegetables, and large quantities of both 
are sold in the Fredericksburg and other markets. Dairying and poultry raising 
have largely increased and are a source of considerable revenue to the farmers 
in connection with general farming. Fish are abundant, and on the rivers are 
found the choicest of tidewater fowls, and in the marshes sora, woodcock, etc. 
Considerable attention is given to improved breeds of horses, sheep and cattle, 
of which there are several fine herds of the latter in the county. 

Transportation facilities are excellent. Besides water transportation, this 
county has two railway fines — the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 
railroad, which passes through the northeast portions, and the Potomac, Freder- 
icksburg and Piedmont (narrow gauge) extending through the northern part from 
Feredericksburg to Orange Courthouse, a distance of forty miles, connecting at 
the latter point with the Southern railway, which brings large additional traffic 
to the county, and its principal town, Fredericksburg. 

Minerals are gold, iron, pyrites, granite and sandstone, most of which have been 
developed and are being successfully mined and worked. The most valuable 
timbers are oak, pine, poplar and hickory, but are limited in quantity, having 
been culled to a considerable extent. 

The county is watered by the Rappahannock river on the northern, the North 
Anna on the southern border, and the numerous tributaries of these rivers and 
the Mattapony in the interior. The climate is mild and healthful, water good, 
churches and public schools ample for demand, and mail facilities convenient 
to all sections of the county. 

Population, census of 1910, 9,935. 

Spotsylvania, the county seat, is situated about the center of the county, on 
the Po river, about ten miles from the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont 
railroad. It is a small inland country village and contains the county buildings, 
several churches and a public school. The nearest market is Fredericksburg, 
the chief town of the county. 

There are three banks in the county. At a recent election $100,000 was voted 
for permanent road building. 



217 

STAFFORD COUNTY. 

Stafford was formed from Westmoreland in 1765, and lies between the Potomac 
and Rappahannock rivers in the northeastern portion of the State, sixty miles 
north from Richmond. It contains an area of 285 square miles, sixty per cent, 
of which is in cultivation. 

The surface is generally rolling; soil a sandy loam, naturally good, and with 
proper treatment, capable of great improvement. Farm products are wheat, 
corn, rye and oats, of which good crops are produced; also the grasses (clover and 
orchard grass) are successfully grown. The most profitable industries of the 
county are its fruit, vegetable and poultry products, which are extensive, and 
find ready sale in the nearby Washington and Fredericksburg markets. The 
pickling industry is especially important, employing from 1,000 to 1,500 hands, 
principallv bovs and girls, and bringing into the county annuallv from $20,000 
to $25,000. 

Large fisheries on the Potomac and tributaries afford profitable employment 
to labor and an important article of food supply to the people. Grazing facilities 
are fairly good, especially for sheep, and the rearing of early lambs for the Wash- 
ington and Baltimore markets is a source of considerable revenue to the farmers. 
In addition to excellent water transportation facilities by the Potomac and its 
tributaries, the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad traverses the 
county north and south, affording choice of markets and convenient access to same. 

Minerals are gold, iron, mica and sandstone, but not operated to any extent. 
The White House at Washington is built of white sandstone from Aquia creek. 
Timbers are oak, hickory, pine, poplar, chestnut, walnut, elm, ash, etc., which 
bring considerable revenue to the county as lumber, railroad ties, and poplar 
wood pulp for paper. 

The Potomac on the eastern and the Rappahannock river on the southern 
border, with the numerous creeks emptying into these rivers, and penetrating 
the interior, afford ample drainage and water supply and also excellent power 
for mills and manufactories. Flour and sawmills are numerous, also shingle mills, 
and several pickling establishments. The climate is mild and healthful; water 
good, embracing some mineral (alum and sulphur). Religious and educational 
advantages are ample and considerable progress is shown in improved condition 
of buildings and lands, better farm stock and increased production of crops of all 
kinds per acre. 

With a people kind and hospitable, climate genial and healthful, cheap lands, 
facilities for easy and pleasant living and convenient access to market, it would 
seem that this is a section presenting many attractions for the intending immigrant 
and home-seeker. 

Population of county, census of 1910, 8,070. 

Stafford Courthouse, the county seat, is located in the eastern portion of the 
county, about four miles from the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac rail- 
road. It is a small inland country village of about fifty inhabitants, church 
and county buildings. The nearest market is Fredericksburg, which is in Spot- 
sylvania, on the opposite bank of the Rappahannock river. 



SURRY COUNTY. 

This is one of the oldest counties in the State, having been formed from James 
City county in 1652. It lies on the south side of James river thirty-five miles 
southeast from Richmond. It contains an area of 292 square miles. Average 
price improved farm lands $8 per acre. 

The surface is generally level and soil fight and sandy. Principal products 
are corn, wheat, oats and peanuts, especially the latter, large quantities of which 
are produced; and so well is the soil adapted to their growth that the lands on that 
account have very materially increased in value. Fruits of all kinds are culti- 
vated with success, and there are some fine orchards, especially on James river. 

This county is well supplied with railroad facilities, having the Atlantic and 



219 

Danville passing up from the south near the center of the county to Claremont 
on the northwest border; the Surry, Sussex and Southampton railway, from 
its connection with the Norfolk and Western railway at Wakefield on the southern 
border through the county to its water terminus on James river; the Norfolk 
and Western along its southwestern border, and eleven miles of the Surry Lumber 
Company's narrow gauge road connecting with the Atlantic and Danville railroad 
at Spring Grove. James river also affords extensive shipping facilities, daily 
steamers of various lines touching at its numerous wharves. 

Marl exists in great abundance, is very accessible, and it is utilized to some 
extent as a fertilizer. About two-thirds of the county is in timber, principally 
pine, oak, hickory, poplar, beech, walnut, cypress, holly and the gums, much of 
which is converted into lumber and firewood for northern markets. 

Water and drainage is supplied by James river on the north, Blackwater on the 
south, and their numerous tributary creeks. There are a large number of sawmills 
in the county, some of which are of very large capacity. The climate, health and 
water are all that could be desired. Churches and schools are numerous and 
convenient, and mail facilities ample. Conditions in the county are very favorable. 
Farm lands are being improved, business is active, and altogether this section 
will compare favorably with other portions of the State. 

Population census of 1910, 9,715. 

Surry, the county seat, is located in the northeastern part of the county on 
the Surry, Sussex and Southampton railway, five miles from James river, and 
fifty-five miles southeast from Richmond, and has a population of about 150. 

Claremont, in the northwest portion of the county, on James river, and the 
eastern terminus of the Atlantic and Danville railroad, is a new and rapidly grow- 
ing town of 565 population, which is an increase of 376 since last census. It has 
several good hotels, churches and schoolhouses, newspaper, and numerous business 
houses, money-order office, several lines of steamboats, daily trains and daily mails. 



SUSSEX COUNTY. 

This county, formed from Surry in 1754, is located in the southeast part of 
the State, thirty-five miles from Richmond. It contains an area of 490 square 
miles — 313,600 acres, 930 farms; average size farms 225 acres. Lands are very 
cheap, ranging in price from $5 per acre up. Average price improved farm lands 
$10 per acre; average assessed value, $3.75 per acre. 

The surface is slightly rolling. Soil, fight sandy loam, with clay sub-soil. 

Peanuts are the great money crop and great quantities are shipped, the yield 
varying from twenty-five to one hundred bushels per acre, bringing from sixty 
cents to $1.25 per bushel. Corn, oats, cotton, wheat, Irish and sweet potatoes 
are other principal crops in the order named. Apples, peaches, pears, grapes 
and small fruits yield abundantly. Clover, alfalfa ami the grasses are being 
grown more largely every year, and on account of the long season, give heavy 
yields. The natural grasses are abundant and nutritious, and stock can graze in 
the fields the greater part of the year. 

Railroad and market facilities are exceUent, furnished by the Norfolk and 
■Western, Atlantic Coast Line and Southern railways, which traverse the north- 
east, southwest and southeastern portions, respectively. 

Marl is abundant, and is used to good effect. 

Pine is the principal timber, considerable quantities of which are converted into 
lumber. Blackwater river on the northeast border, and Nottoway river in the 
central portion, and their branches, furnish sufficient water supply and drainage. 
Climate mild, health and water good. Primary and high schools and churches 
of the different denominations are numerous and convenient. 

Population, census of 1910, 13,664. 

The county is principally agricultural, but Stony Creek and Jarratt on the 
Atlantic Coast Line, and Wakefield and Waverly, on the Norfolk and Western, 
are thriving towns, with good business houses, banks, high schools and roomy 
churches. Waverly, the largest, with two sawmills, two stave mills, cannery, 



221 

peanut factory, planing mill, electric lights and paved streets. The prosperity 
of the county is shown by its bank deposits, which average over $50 per capita. 
Many northern and western people have settled near Waverly the past few years, 
among them many Germans. Land values are increasing rapidly, and is it only 
a question of a few years before this section will become a county of small farms, 
with land values as high as those in the north. 



TAZEWELL COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Russell and Wythe in 1799, and is situated in 
the southwestern portion of the State, about 325 miles southwest from Richmond. 
It is forty miles in length, with an average width of about eighteen miles, and con- 
tains an area of 557 square miles (about one-half being under cultivation). 

Much of the surface is mountainous, and lying between are many extensive 
and very fertile valleys. The soil is principally limestone, and very productive, 
and a striking peculiarity of this county is that the lands are generally fertile to 
the tops of the mountains, and don't wash. The lands are well adapted to the 
production of the various grains — corn, wheat, rye, oats, etc., and the cultivated 
grasses, clover, timothy, orchard and herd's grass. But while bountiful crops 
of grain and grass can be produced, the farmers prefer to preserve their fine blue 
grass sod and engage in the much less expensive and much more congenial and 
profitable occupation of grazing cattle, which is the leading industry of the county. 
Large numbers of cattle (unsurpassed in quality) are annually sold from this county, 
a large proportion of them for export purposes; also quantities of sheep of the 
finest grade, and no section of the State is better supplied with fine draft and sad- 
dle horses. 

Tazewell has perhaps the largest grazing capacity of any of the Southwest 
Virginia counties. With the exception of a part of the coal belt, perhaps three- 
fourths of its area is well adapted to agricultural and grazing purposes, and within 
that area there is a wealth of blue grass lands which are the admiration of all 
who see them. Even the lofty ridges and mountains to their summits are covered 
with a luxuriant growth of blue grass which is indigenous. Another very impor- 
tant advantage, fitting it for grazing purposes, is that it is exceptionally well 
watered. 

Considerable attention is being paid to fruit culture, to which the county is well 
adapted. The daily, vegetables and poultry products find a ready and remunera- 
tive market at the nearby coal mines. Game is abundant, and the streams being 
well supplied with bass and other fish, furnish excellent sport. 

Railroad facilities consist of the New River division of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad, which extends through the northwestern limits of the county, and in 
the Clinch Valley division of the Norfolk and Western, which traverses its whole 
length from northeast to southwest. These railroads have put the county in 
direct communication with all sections of the country, north, east, south and 
west, and have given great impetus to the agricultural and mineral resources 
of the county. 

TazeweU is especially rich in minerals, both in variety and extent, the principal 
of which are coal, iron ores (brown and red), manganese, lead, zinc, barytes, 
salt, gypsum, building stone, soapstone and marble. The leading minerals are 
coal and iron, especially the former, which exists in vast quantities, and has 
already earned a reputation at home and abroad for steam and cooking purposes. 
Immense quantities of coal and coke are shipped from this county to all sections 
of the country — especially of coal to Norfolk city — for the coaling of ocean steam- 
ers. The superiority of the coke is acknowledged now by all iron makers, and 
it is in much demand. The great Flat Top mountain range, from which this 
coal is obtained, forms the northwestern border of the county, and is part of 
the dividing fine between Virginia and West Virginia. Pocahontas, the magic 
little city that has sprung up in the midst of these mines, is a place of large busi- 
ness and enterprise, situated on the New River division of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad. The mines consist of a group of five, known as the East Mines Nos. 



1 and 2, Silver Ridge Mine, Baby Mine and West Mine. The workings of this 
group of mines embrace an area of about 2,000 acres, while the total acreage 
of the company's property is about 8,500 acres. The mines of this company 
are the largest and oldest and most extensively worked in the entire Flat Top 
field, having been opened in 1882. The coal is of a semi-bituminous character 
and very easy to work. The seam is about ten feet thick, and in some portions 
eighteen to nineteen feet in thickness. Some of the mines are equipped with 
electric haulage, coal-cutting machines, and electric pumps. In others the hauling 
is done by steam locomotives and mules. Exhaust fans are used in all of them. 
To admit of a more extensive use of electricity throughout the plant, a stone 
power-house with a capacity of 1,500 horse power has been erected. The coke 
tarries and tipple are operated by electricity, and the towns of Pocahontas, Va., 
and Coopers and Bramwell, W. Va., are lighted from this plant. 

Another extensive coal industry about three-quarters of a mile from this place 
and one of the richest in the Flat Top coal field is what is known as the Browning 
Mines, owned and operated by Col. J. W. Browning, and is the only individual 
mining operation in this field. This mining property consists of from 600 to 
800 acres of coal lands, extending up Laurel creek a distance of about three and 
one-half miles. The vein of coal now being mined at this point is from twelve 
to fifteen feet in thickness, and of very superior quality as a steam coal, having 
been ordered on several special occasions in the trial of war vessels. These mines 
are well furnished with all the necessary equipments of mine locomotives, extensive 
fans for supplying fresh air, boilers and stationary engines for furnishing power, 
etc. The output of these mines is from 250 to 300 tons per day, employing about 
160 men, and turning out 100,000 tons annually. 

Another very important and interesting industry located at Pocahontas is 
the By-Product Plant, owned and operated by the Pocahontas Collieries Company. 
These by-products consist of oil and pitch, the yield of which is equivalent to 
from two to three gaUons per ton of coal distilled or coked, and worth about 
five cents per gallon. Another product obtained by the same process is commercial 
ammonia sulphate — known more generally as sulphate of ammonia. This product 
is used principally as a fertilizer, and is very largely in demand for such purposes, 
and a large quantity of it is also used to make liquid ammonia for ice making. 

The iron ore deposits of this county are rich and extensive, and their prox- 
imity to the magnificent coal fields of this section is destined to make it the iron- 
producing center of the State, and the county will assuredly one day be as noted 
for mining and manufacturing as it is now for its incomparable grass land. 

The mineral springs of the county are the Tazewell Sulphur Springs, situated 
about five miles from Tazewell, the county seat; and at Mustard's, in the eastern 
middle portion of the county, eight fine mineral springs very close together, 
one apparently an arsenical spring, another a blue sulphur, while the character 
of the others has not been determined. These springs are regarded as highly cura- 
tive, and yield a fine supply of water, but the most attractive and popular watering 
place in the county is situated at the pretty little village of Cedar Bluff, on the 
Clinch Valley railroad. The spring is what is known as blue sulphur water, located 
on the bank of the Clinch river in a lovely and romantic situation, and near by 
is the Blue Sulphur Inn, with extensive and excellent accommodations. 

Notwithstanding the large amount of timber that has been shipped out of the 
county, there are still considerable quantities and a fine quality, the most valuable 
of which for merchantable purposes are walnut, poplar, oak, hickory, ash and 
other hard woods. 

The whole of this county is well watered; the greater part by Clinch river and its 
tributaries. Blue-stone river, East river, and Wolf creek with some of its tribu- 
taries, have their source in the eastern portion of the county. These streams 
are fed by strong, never-failing limestone springs, capable of running a grist mill 
within a few hundred yards of their source. The never-failing character of the 
streams of the county is one of their chief recommendations, and in no county 
of the State, perhaps, is such abundance and excellence of water power so little 
used. The manufactories of the county are several woolen mills of large capacity; 
brick works at Tip Top with an output of 5,000,000 annually, and one of the 
best equipped plants in the South; extensive lime works at North Tazewell; 



223 

iron furnace and plow and foundry company at Graham; ice plant, broom and 
mattress factory, furniture factory, and numerous grain and sawmills. 

After all that has been said of the altitude, drainage and splendid water of 
this county, it is scarcely necessary to add that the climate and health is par- 
excellence. 

Tazewell Courthouse, and the county east and north, look like the realization 
of pastoral perfection. There are a large number of churches representing the 
various Protestant denominations, and in addition to the numerous public schools 
that are. in a flourishing condition, there are two colleges and five high schools. 
Mail facilities are excellent, and the principal towns and neighborhoods have 
good telephone connection. The sales of large boundaries of coal and timber 
lands at good prices have brought much money here, which added to that realized 
from cattle, sheep, wood and lumber, has made it very abundant in the county. 
So there is a healthy and steady advance in all fines of business. Tazewell is 
situated in the center of the county, one mile south of North Tazewell station 
on the Clinch Valley railroad, with which it has regular communication by horse 
car and hack lines. Extensive road improvements are now in progress. It is a 
large, prosperous county town of 1,096 inhabitants (census of 1900), which is 
an increase of 492 since last census. Its streets are in good condition, graded, 
paved and lighted, and there are good water works. It has a college, a $25,000.00 
high school and other schools of high grade, churches of different denominations, 
handsome business houses, excellent fiotels and sfiops of various kinds, also several 
newspapers and fraternal orders. Seven banks afford ample facilities for handling 
the finances of the county. 

Other towns are Graham, at the junction of the New River and Clinch Valley 
railroads, a growing and important manufacturing and business town of 1,554 
inhabitants (census of 1900), which is an increase of 533 since 1890. 

Richlands, North Tazewell, Cedar Bluff, Falls Mills, Pounding Mill, Liberty, 
etc. 

Much could be said, but space forbids to speak of the grand country about 
Tazewell, Liberty and Maiden Spring and of the beautiful Bluestone, Wrights and 
Abbs valleys, and Thompson and Woods caves; but more than a passing notice 
is due to the far-famed Burks Garden of this county, one of the largest valleys 
in the county, and noted for its beauty and fertility. This elevated mountain 
basin, 3,200 feet above sea level, contains about 30,000 acres of the most fertile 
blue grass lands, and is encircled by the Clinch range of mountains (some peaks 
of which attain an elevation of 4,700 feet), except at one point on the north side, 
where the waters of this singularly beautiful basin break through and form Wolf 
creek. It is about eight miles long from northeast to southwest, and about four 
and a half wide, and looks as though it had once been a mountain lake, the waters 
of which had burst their way through the northern escarpment that restrained 
it, leaving the beautiful trout stream that now pours through the gorge to mark 
its course. Burks Garden is an emerald sea in the springtime, with its waving 
trees and noble pastures, and is doubtless the finest body of land of its size in the 
State. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, 24,946. 



WARREN COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1836 from Frederick and Shenandoah, and is situated 
in the northern part of the State, nearly 100 miles air line northwest from Richmond. 
It lies on the western slope of the Blue Ridge mountains, which separate it from 
Rappahannock and Fauquier on the southeast, and Frederick on the north, 
Clarke on the northeast, Shenandoah west, and Page southwest. It is twenty 
miles long and twelve miles in width, containing an area of 226 square miles. 

The surface is rolling and mountainous in some portions. About fifty per 
cent, is in cultivation. The soil is limestone and very fertile. Farm products 
are wheat, corn, oats, rye, buckwheat, potatoes and the grasses. 

The climate and soil are well adapted to the growing of fruits, and much care 
and attention is given to this industry, which is one of the most profitable in tbe 



224 



county; grape culture, especially, has been extensively and successfully carried 
on for many years, and utilized in the manufacture of much fine wine. One of 
the oldest and largest vineyards of the South is located here. 

Considerable attention is paid to the raising of poultry. Fifty thousand ducks 
are sold annually from the largest duck farm in the world at Riverton. Stock 
raising ranks as one of the most important and profitable industries of the county. 
Large numbers of fat cattle are annually shipped to the northern and eastern 
markets. 

Some experiments have been made with White Burley tobacco in Warren 
county. Although unprecedentedly dry, the yield averaged 800 to 900 pounds 
in merchantable tobacco to the acre. That already shipped brought about fifteen 
cents per pound after deducting all charges (freight, drayage, commision, etc.) 

Transportation facilities are ample and convenient, supplied by the Shenandoah 
Valley branch of the Norfolk and Western railroad traversing the center of the 
county from north to south, and the Manassas branch of the Southern railroad 
crossing it from east to west at Front Royal. 




VIRGINIA SHORTHORN PRIZE-WINNERS. 



Minerals of various kinds are found in considerable quantities, the principal 
of which are iron, copper, ochre, umber, limestone and manganese. There are 
also numerous mineral springs. The timber consists of walnut, hickory, cherry, 
oak, pine, chestnut and poplar, but it has been cut out to considerable extent. 
gfcThe south fork of the Shenandoah river passing through the center of the county 
affords an ample water supply, excellent water power, and an abundance of good 
fish. Manufactories and enterprises embrace numerous grain and sawmills, 
locust pin and handle factories, cigar factory, broom factory, lime kilns, and 
the Riverton Lime Company, one of the largest plants of the kind in the South. 
As to climate, health and water, the conditions are all that could be desired. 
Public schools are excellent and numerous, and churches of the various denom- 
inations convenient to all sections. Good turnpikes and country roads assist, 
and all that is needed is capital to develop resources and improve the waste places. 
This is truly a highly favored and most desirable section of the State, having 
all the accessories to prosperity and the happiness of its people. 

Population, census of 1910, 8,589. 

Front Royal, the county seat, is located at the junction of the Shenandoah 
division of the Norfolk and Western, and the Manassas branch of the Southern 



225 

railroad, and has a population of 1,005, including suburbs, 2,400 (census of 
1900). It is one of the most prosperous and attractive towns in the valley of 
the Shenandoah, and is noted for the hospitality and refinement of its people. 
Situated in the heart of one of the finest farming sections of the State, its com- 
mercial and manufacturing interests are varied and considerable. It has facto- 
ries for making handles, collars, cigars; and also several large hotels, numerous 
business houses, educational institutions, public schools, newspapers, two banks, 
churches, and fraternal orders. It has macadamized streets, brick sidewalks 
and a good system of water works and electric lights. Educational institutions 
include Randolph-Macon Academy, under the supervision of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, South — a school of fine standing, elegant buildings and com- 
petent faculty. Front Royal College, with four departments, and a large high 
school building. Two large flouring mills are located at Front Royal, capacity 
from 150 to 200 barrels daily, and an iron mining company has recently opened 
mines near town and is shipping carloads of ore daily. 



WARWICK COUNTY. 

Warwick, though now a small county in area and one of the smallest in the 
State in population, was one of the original shires into which the State was divided 
in 1634, and was named for the town of Warwick in England. It lies in a narrow 
strip along the northern shores of the James river entrance into the Chesapeake 
bay, and contains an area of 85 square miles. 

The surface is level, soil a sandy loam, fairly productive and easily cultivated 
and improved. The most profitable products are wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, 
etc., the average yield of which is very good. Trucking, market gardening and 
poultry raising are growing in importance and value. Fish, oysters and wild 
fowl are abundant, the trade in which constitutes a very important feature of 
the business of the county. 

Railroads are the Chesapeake and Ohio, and the Newport News, Hampton 
and Old Point railways, the former traversing the county from northwest 
to southeast, and having its southeastern terminus at Newport News. 

Marl, the only mineral, is found in large quantities and of excellent quality. 
The timber supply is rather limited. Principal varieties are oak, pine, ash and 
gum, much of which is worked by the sawmills in operation in the county. The 
James and Warwick rivers afford ample drainage and excellent transportation 
facilities. Market advantages are excellent, the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, 
Newport News and Hampton furnishing superior facilities in this respect. The 
climate is mild; health and water good. Churches are numerous, and the public 
schools in a flourishing condition. Telephone service and mail facilities are ample, 
and in progress and general advancement there has been great improvement 
in the county since the extension of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway to Newport 
News, in the southeast portion of the county. 

Population of the county (independent of the city of Newport News), census 
of 1910, 6,041. 

The wild animals of the county are deer, fox, raccoon, squirrel and hare. The 
water fowls of that region abound, besides which there are such game birds as 
wild turkeys, partridges, woodcock and sora, and the large proportion of water 
front creeks and inlets make the county exceedingly popular with sportsmen 
and fishermen. 



WASHINGTON COUNTY. 

This county, formed January 28, 1776, from Fincastle, is situated in the south- 
western portion of the State — 350 miles by rail, 240 air line, from Richmond. 
It is one of the largest counties in the Southwest, containing an area of 605 square 
miles. 



227 

The surface is generally undulating, and mountainous in parts, especially on 
the northern and southern borders, though least mountainous of any of the 
Southwest counties. Its valleys are broad and present a beautiful picture in the 
alternation of hill and dale, of woodland and pasture. Soil varies in character 
and quality, but all lie upon a stratum of yellow or red clay, very fertile and 
productive and wears well. The gray or gravelly soil is adapted to wheat, rye 
and tobacco, and the dark alluvial soil to corn and grass. The principal and 
most profitable farm products are wheat, corn, rye, oats, hay and tobacco, of 
which abundant crops are annually produced, though the tobacco production 
has fallen off from 2,000,000 pounds in 1889 to 500,000 in 1909. This is a superior 
grass-producing section, especially of clover, timothy and orchard grass, that 
yields largely, and much of which is grown. Tobacco is not as profitably grown 
as formerly. Fruits of the various kinds, such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, 
grapes, etc., grow to perfection and yield abundantly. Considerable revenue 
is derived from the poultry and egg products, which have a fine local market, 
The county abounding to a large extent in the spontaneous growth of blue grass, 
stock raising is the chosen and most profitable occupation of a large number of 
the most enterprising farmers of the county. 

Transportation facilities are excellent, embracing the Norfolk and Western 
railroad, which traverses the county centrally from northeast to southwest, and 
has its western terminus at Bristol, this county. The Virginia and Southwestern 
railroad extends from Bristol northwest to Big Stone Gap, reaching the vast 
beds of coal and iron of that section. The Virginia and Carolina railroad starts 
from Abingdon and extends south to the Tennessee line and opens up the immense 
timber and mineral resources of that section. There is also a branch of the Nor- 
folk and Western from Glade Spring to Saltville, near the Smyth county line. 
Iron and marble are found in this county in various localities, mainly on its southern 
border; but its principal wealth consists in its great deposits of salt and plaster. 
Owing to the value of the salt wells in the Saltville basin it was made the dividing 
line between Washington and Smyth counties, so as to throw equal values of this 
great wealth into each of the counties, and it would be difficult to estimate the 
approximate quantity of the Saltville deposit assignable to Washington county; 
but it may be confidently asserted that it has inexhaustible deposits of both 
salt and plaster close to the Washington-Smyth line, and dividing as it does 
with Smyth this valuable territory, a more specific description will suffice for 
both, which will be found in report of Smyth county. Mineral springs are numer- 
ous and valuable, embracing chalybeate, alum, magnesia and sulphur waters, 
the most noted of which are the Seven Springs on the Saltville branch of the 
Norfolk and Western railroad, at which is made the famous "Seven Springs Iron 
and Alum Mass," of great efficacy in many forms of disease. Mongel's Springs, 
situated nine miles northwest of Abingdon, has a high local reputation for cura- 
tive virtues, and with proper accommodations for visitors, should command a 
good patronage. Washington Springs are situated one and one-half miles from 
Glade Springs in a lovely and healthful spot amid the mountains, and are regarded 
as having valuable medicinal and curative properties. There are four distinct 
varieties of the water, the most effective being the Alum, Chalybeate, and the 
White Sulphur Springs. 

There are large bodies of well timbered lands, now being developed rapidly, 
the principal and valuable varieties of which are oak, pine, poplar, walnut, hem- 
lock, hickoiy, ash, chestnut and cherry. The county is finely watered by the 
north, south and middle forks of Holston river and numerous tributaries passing 
through its most fertile portions, and affording a quantity and variety of excellent 
fresh water fish, besides offering facilities for water power possessed by but few 
counties in the State. 

Industries and manufactories consist of sash, door and blind factories, band 
mills, lumber plants, woolen mills, flouring and saw mills, extract plant, plaster 
works, soda ash and bleaching-powder works, and others that will appear in the 
Smyth statement. The climate is temperate, and pure spring water plentiful. 
All the Protestant denominations are represented in the county, and have good 
church buildings in every community. This county is celebrated for its superior 
educational advantages, on account of its institutions of learning of a high order 



228 

and wide reputation — its public school system in a flourishing condition, and 
there are ten high schools throughout the county. Telephone service is excellent, 
the Bristol Telephone Company's lines connecting almost all parts of the county. 
Mail facilities are good, with postofhces in every community, and rural free de- 
livery service. The financial condition of the county is possibly as good as any 
section of the State, and progress and general advancement (in recent years) 
have been both rapid and permanent. There are eight banks in the county. 

Population of the county, census of 1910, 32,830. 

Abingdon, the county seat, is beautifully situated near the center of the county 
on the Norfolk and Western railroad 190 miles southwest from Lynchburg and 
fifteen miles northeast from Bristol, and has a population, census of 1900, of 
1,306. Its population has more than doubled within the past five years, owing 
to large manufactories located there; extensive street and road improvements 
in the town, adjacent country and the county. Within three or four years its 
streets will be splendidly macadamized and for five miles out the main thorough- 
fares (five) will be well macadamized, means for the purpose having been 
provided for by the town and district. It is one of the oldest towns west of the 
Blue Ridge, certainly the oldest town of Southwest Virginia. In "Ye Olden Time' ' 
it was really the capital of Southwest Virginia, and was the great highway of 
the stage coach between the great Tennessee and Virginia valleys, and many 
noted celebrities would pause here on their way to Washington, and rest and 
refresh themselves in its then celebrated hostelries; but in 1860 came the railroad 
and with it the telegraph and express, and the old stage horn was relegated to 
the past, and a new order of things ushered in. Abingdon is now a town of public 
buildings and schools, with two fine female colleges (Martha Washington College 
and Stonewall Jackson Institute, controlled, respectively, by the Methodist 
and Presbyterian denominations), with beautiful grounds and buildings hand- 
somely situated, which add much to the importance and attractiveness of the 
place. Besides the county courthouse there is a spacious United States court 
building, in which is held the district court of the Federal government for the 
Western District of Virginia, of which Abingdon is nearly the geographical center. 
Here are also nice churches of the different denominations, a male academy and 
other good schools, three newspapers, three banks and fraternal orders, factories 
of different kinds, repair and smith shops, excellent hotels and livery stables, 
numerous mercantile establishments, electric lights, water works, and macadam 
streets. Abingdon is a town of considerable business importance, commanding 
a large trade not only from the county of Washington, but from surrounding 
counties in Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. The Virginia and Georgia 
railway starting at Abingdon and extending twenty-six miles southward into 
the primeval forests of Tennessee, is a comparatively new enterprise, and is 
forging to the business front in a manner scarcely expected by its promoters. 
At Crandall, its present terminus, there is an immense lumber plant. There are 
also other industries in the same section, such as steam tanneries, extract plant, 
etc. Damascus, a new and growing town, is situated in that vicinity, and on 
the railroad. The culture and refinement of its people and splendid climate 
render Abingdon a most delightful residence town, and these advantages are 
being appreciated, as shown by the number of new residences recently erected, 
adding much to the attractiveness of the place. 

There are several other good towns and villages, viz.: Saltville, at the terminus 
of a nine-mile branch of the Norfolk and Western railroad, the site of the great 
salt works, an account of which has been previously given. Damascus, near 
the foot of the White Top mountain, a town where numerous manufactories have 
sprung up, on the Virginia-Carolina railroad; Meadowview, on the Norfolk and 
Western railroad; Greendale, four miles north of Abingdon; Emory, situated 
twelve miles east of Abingdon, on the Norfolk and Western railroad, an interesting 
point as being the site of Emory and Henry College, established in 1837, now 
under the patronage of the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
South. It has had quite a successful history in the past, having been the "Alma 
Mater' ' of some of the most distinguished men of this country, and with its fine 
facilities for education, excellent faculty, convenient location, commodious build- 
ings and great natural beauty and healthfulness, it deserves and will doubtless 



229 



have a long and growing patronage and prosperous future; and Glade Spring, 
a nice little village, situated on the Norfolk and Western railroad, and the junction 
of the Saltville branch. It has a population now of 1,500, and is a place of con- 
siderable business. 



WESTMORELAND COUNTY. 

Westmoreland was formed in 1653 from Northumberland, and is situated in 
the northeast portion of the State on the lower Potomac river fifty-five miles 
northeast from Richmond. Its average length is thirty miles, width ten miles. 
It contains an area of 245 square miles, and a population by last census of 9,313. 

The surface is generally level, but hilly in some portions. Soil light loam on 
river bottoms, stiffer clay soil on uplands, and easy of cultivation. 




SOME HIGH-GRADE JERSEYS. 



Farm products are corn, wheat, millet, rye, clover, and peas for hay. Potatoes, 
sweet and Irish, do well, and the raising of clover seed for market is a considerable 
industry. Orchard grass and timothy are successfully grown. Average yield 
per acre of corn, twenty-five bushels; of wheat, ten bushels; and of hay, one and 
a half to two tons. Fruits of the various varieties, such as apples, peaches, pears, 
plums, strawberries, etc., grow well, and several canneries are located in the 
county. The climate and soil is especially adapted to the raising of vegetables, 
and trucking is becoming quite an important industry. The numerous creeks 
and inlets along the Potomac boundary abound in the finest of fish, oysters and 
wild fowl. There are large natural oyster beds on these tidal waters, and the 
species of fish obtained embrace trout, rock, herring, shad and perch, which are 
caught by nets, traps and seines. 

Grazing facilities are fairly good, and stock does well, especially sheep, which 
are receiving increased attention and proving quite remunerative. That class 



230 

of stock is being improved by the importation of better breeds. There are no 
railroads in the county, but excellent transportation facilities are afforded by 
steamboats on the Rappahannock and Potomac to Fredericksburg, Washington, 
Baltimore and Alexandria markets. Marl is abundant, also marsh mud and oyster 
shell lime. There is some ash, poplar, etc., but the timber consists chiefly of 
pine, of which a large amount of cord-wood and lumber are annually cut and 
shipped. 

Water and drainage are furnished by the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers; 
and the numerous tributaries of the latter penetrating inland about ten or twelve 
miles, with good water power, are utilized. Besides numerous saw and grain 
mills, the manufactories of the county consist of a number of fruit-canning factories, 
two plants for blasting and crushing marl, and one for digging and grinding in- 
fusorial earths. 

The climate is temperate. Health generally good. Water good and abundant 
in the uplands; not so good on water courses, except where artesian is used. 
Churches numerous — principally Baptist, Methodist and Episcopal. There 
are also a large number of public schools. Telephone service from Fredericksburg 
to every important point in county. Financial conditions excellent, and consid- 
erable progress shown in improved buildings. 

This is one of the oldest settled counties in the State, and in colonial days was 
the home of wealth and influence, the immigrants to the county from England 
comprising many of the rich and aristocratic families of the old country. There 
are many valuable and highly important estates in the county, and by the more 
modern and improved system of agriculture, which has been adopted the past 
few years, the waste lands are being reclaimed and the farming interests generally 
improved. This county enjoys the proud distinction of having been the birth- 
place of two of the Presidents of the United States — George Washington and 
James Monroe — -besides another no less honored and distinguished Virginian, 
General R. E. Lee. Montross, the county seat, with a population of about 150, 
is an ancient town of some importance, located near the southern border, six 
miles distant from landings on both Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, with 
which there is daily mail communication. There has recently been erected a 
handsome new courthouse and clerk's office. 

Town of Colonial Beach has sprung into existence and has nearly reached 
the proportion of a city, and real estate has doubled in value and with a prospective 
railroad in the near future, with the advantages we have for trucking, etc., with 
men of muscular energy and brains, I see no reason why this county should not 
occupy her former position, i. e., not only the "Athens," but the "Garden Spot 
of America." 



WISE COUNTY. 

This county was formed in 1856 from Russell, Lee and Scott, and named in honor 
of Henry A. Wise, then governor. It is situated in the great Cumberland range, 
in the extreme southwestern portion of the State, 380 miles from Richmond, 
and is bounded on the north by the State of Kentucky. It contains an area of 
413 square miles (under cultivation, twenty-five per cent.) 

The surface is hilly and mountainous. Soil mostly sandy. 

Farm products are corn, rye, oats, millet, potatoes and sorghum, and the lands 
are also very well adapted to the growing of vegetables and fruits. All the products 
of the farm find a ready and remunerative sale with the numerous and extensive 
mining operations in the county. 

Transportation facilities are very good, embracing the Louisville and Nashville 
and Norfolk and Western, and Virginia and Southwestern railroads. The South 
and Western, and the Virginia and Southeastern are important lines now being 
constructed into the county. There are six short independent lines in the county, 
used principally as feeders for the mineral interests of the county, which are 
various and valuable, and destined to make it one of the wealthiest counties in 
the State. 

The most important minerals are iron ores and coal (bituminous, splint and 



231 



cannei). Limestone and sandstone for building and other purposes are of very 
superior quality and abundant, the latter being very cheaply quarried and made 
ready for use in any desired shape or size. Iron is found in large deposits, es- 
pecially in the neighborhood of Big Stone Gap, in the southwest portion of the 
county. Here, in close proximity to each other, are the iron ore, limestone and 
coal, and few localities are more favorably situated for the manufacture of iron. 
Since the*construction of convenient transportation facilities, these ores are being 
largely developed and mined, and extensively worked by the furnaces here in 
operation. But its great wealth consists in its immense deposits of coal, having 
the greatest amount of valuable bituminous and cannel coal to be found in any 
county of the State, the industrial value of which can scarcely be overestimated. 
In fact, there are few areas of like size and value in this particular to be found 
in the world. Since the building of t railroads through the county, rapid progress 
has been made here in the coal and'coke industry. From year to year new mines 




VIRGINIA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION IMPROVING COUNTY ROADS. 



are being opened, and coke plants constructed, until this~county has become a 
hive of industry, teeming with thousands of laborers; and the indications point 
to the establishment here of some of the largest collieries and coke plants in the 
United States. The coke ovens now in operation in the county are as follows: 
At Tom's Creek, 800; Stonega, 666; Dorchester, 550; Osaka, 3*00; Inman, 150; 
Imboden, 300; Blackwood, 250; Josephine, 80; Essexville, 50; Carbon, 25; Norton, 
150; Glamur, 200, making a total of 3,521, and other new plants in course of 
construction. 

Wise is especially noted for its fine forests of valuable timber, such as poplar, 
walnut, cherry, oak, etc., but since it has been opened up to the markets by the 
railroads, and owing to heavy local demand, the supply of timber has been largely 
depleted, though still a considerable quantity remains. 

The county is well watered in the northern part by the numerous streams flowing 
into Russells fork of Big Sandy river, and in the southern and eastern portions 
by Powells and Guests rivers, and other streams, tributaries of the Clinch. 



233 

The manufacturing enterprises of note are iron furnaces and foundries, grist, 
saw and planing mills, a silicon brick plant, a large tannery, and an extract plant 
at Big Stone Gap. Climate healthful and invigorating, average temperature 
fifty-five degrees, rainfall about fifty-four inches. Water fairly good. County 
well supplied with churches of the various denominations, and the public free 
schools are in an exceedingly prosperous condition; also a model graded school 
at Big Stone Gap and a college at Wise, the county seat. Most of the towns are 
connected by telephone, and mail service with every neighborhood. The financial 
condition of the people is highly favorable, and great progress and advancement 
is noted here in recent years, as indicated by the large increase in population. 

Total population, census of 1910, 34,162. 

There are five banks in the county, all doing a prosperous business. 

Wise the county seat, is located near the center of the county, five miles from 
Norton, the junction of the Clinch Valley division of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad and the Louisville and Nashville railroad. 

It has a population of about 800. 

The most important town is Big Stone Gap, population, census of 1900, 1,617. 
Other towns are East Stone Gap, population, census of 1900, 349; Coeburn, pop- 
ulation, census of 1900, 295 — now about 500; Norton, population, census of 1900, 
654 — now about 1,250; Tacoma, population, census of 1900, 247. 

Norton, especially, has made very rapid strides within the past four or five 
years. There has been located here two wholesale grocery houses, a wholesale 
hardware house, a branch of the Armour Packing Co.; also a branch of the Standard 
Oil Company, two large hotels, numerous residences and business houses. The 
coal and coke companies have constructed large power plants with the latest im- 
proved electrical machinery, and the Indian Creek and Pound River railroad, 
extending from Norton into the Pound Gap country, which is very rich in lumber 
and coal, has been completed for seven miles. Pound Gap, a widely-known place 
in the Cumberland mountains (a depression in the crest of the mountain, whose 
lowest point is nearly 2,300 feet above sea level) being the objective point for 
all railroads leading from this part of Virginia to Kentucky, places this county in 
a direct line of all such contemplated railroads, the necessity for which will arise, 
and some will most surely be constructed in the near future. 



WYTHE COUNTY. 

This county was formed from Montgomery in 1790. It is located west of the 
Blue Ridge, in the southwest portion of the State, 270 miles southwest from 
Richmond, in the midst of the great mining and grazing section. It contains an 
area of 474 square miles, one-half being under cultivation. Lands vary much in 
price as they do in value. 

The surface is varied, alternately mountain and valley. Several mountain ranges 
traverse the county, mainly from northeast to southwest, between which lie ex- 
tensive and very fertile valleys, notably Reed creek, Cripple creek, and headwaters 
of Holston on the west forming an elevated plateau of high table-land from east 
to west. These valleys contain blue grass and farming lands of a high order that 
are scarcely surpassed in the State. 

The staple crops are corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet and hay, abundant 
yields of which are produced. Fruits and vegetables of various kinds are suc- 
cessfully grown, and these industries are receiving increased attention every year, 
and in portions of the county, constitute a very important and profitable source 
of revenue to the farmers, for which there is always a ready cash market. The 
raising of cabbage, Irish potatoes and apples in the western part of the county is 
becoming quite an industry. These products are mostly shipped to the southern 
markets and bring remunerative prices. Being situated between the North and 
the South gives this section an unusual advantage in disposition of her products. 
The cabbage industry has built up an important business center at Rural Retreat, 
with good hotels, banks, mercantile houses, etc., which attracts much attention 
in the wholesale vegetable market. 




I 1 

s 



235 

The United States Fish Hatchery, three and a half miles west of Wytheville, 
is quite an important enterprise in the county, and is rapidly stocking the waters 
of the State with the best varieties of fish. 

Agriculture is carried to its highest perfection in this county in the department 
of grazing, and in this respect it is scarcely excelled in the State. Its cattle, sheep 
and horse products are immensely remunerative, much of the former being exported 
and commanding the highest prices. Transportation facilities are excellent, 
furnished by the Norfolk and Western railroad passing through the heart of the 
county, and the Cripple Creek branch of the Norfolk and Western railroad extend- 
ing into the great mining region of the southeastern portion of the county; also 
a branch of the latter ten or twelve miles into a rich mineral section, developing 
the celebrated Cripple Creek iron ores. 

This is one of the richest counties in the State in the variety, quality and extent 
of its minerals, and in their development the county is making rapid strides toward 
a position of commercial importance well calculated to excite the just pride of 
her citizens. Alternating with each other on the south side of the county are 
wonderful veins and deposits of iron ores, manganese ores, and lead and zinc 
ores of extraordinary purity; while in the northern half of the county fine magnetic 
and brown iron ores are abundant. These minerals have been developed and found 
to exist in immense quantities, and are being worked on a large scale in different 
sections of the county, the large works affording an excellent home market for 
the products of the farm. There are various mineral waters in the county, the 
principal of which are its many alum-chalybeate springs, also the arsenic bromo- 
lithia springs, which are fast coming into favor and are of high medicinal virtue. 

On the north and in the middle section there are still larger boundaries of very 
good timber, such as white and Spanish oak, walnut, cherry, locust, hickory, poplar, 
gum, pine and chestnut. 

The county is well watered by New river, which flows through the southeastern 
portion of the county, and some of its principal tributaries, such as Reed creek 
in the central and northern portions, and Cripple creek in the southwestern part 
of the county. These streams, in their many minor tributaries, leave but little 
of the whole area that is not thoroughly well watered, and like all mountain 
streams of this section, are unfailing and afford much excellent water power. 

Manufactories consist principally of iron, zinc and lead furnaces, in which it 
probably leads any other county of the State. These works supply extensive 
home markets besides employing the labor of the county at remunerative wages. 
In addition to the above there are forges, smelting works, rolling mills, wool 
factories, manufactories of wood; and flour mills, sawmills and ordinary grist 
mills are numerous throughout the county. Owing to the altitude of this section, 
averaging half a mile above sea level, the climate resembles that of the Middle 
States, and may be said to be almost perfect; health unexcelled and water pure 
as can be found. '^Churches are numerous and of all denominations. Educational 
advantages are excellent, consisting of colleges, high schools, and numerous 
public schools, j Telephone service in all parts of the county, and mail facilities 
excellent. The county is in splendid financial condition and growing rapidly in 
wealth, importance and population. There are seven banks in the county. 

Total population, 20,372. 

Wytheville, the chief town and county seat, is a pretty and flourishing place, 
is'situated near the center of the county, on the line of the Norfolk and Western 
railroad 280 miles southwest from Richmond. Its elevation is 2,360 feet above 
the sea level, affording picturesque scenery, healthful and bracing climate, pleas- 
ant days and cool nights, fine alum and chalybeate water, excellent society, well- 
kept hotels and boarding houses, handsome streets and residences, constituting 
an eligible summer resort of great popularity. Churches are numerous and hand- 
some, and its educational advantages are of a high order. Besides colleges and 
well-regulated public schools, there are private boarding schools for young ladies. 
It has also several newspapers, two banks, fraternal orders, water works, electric 
lights and macadamized streets. In addition to several flourishing manufactories 
and machine shops, there are stores in every department of business. A new court- 
house, costing about $50,000 and one of the finest in the State, has recently been 
erected. The Supreme Court of Appeals of the State holds a session here annually 



287 

during the months of June and July. Other towns, besides Rural Retreat, are 
Ivanhoe, Max Meadows, Fosters Fall and Austinville. These are all thriving 
manufacturing or business places, and of considerable population and importance. 



YORK COUNTY. 

This county was one of the original shires into which Virginia was divided in 
1634. It was first known as Charles county, but changed to York in 1642. It 
lies fifty miles south by east of Richmond. It is thirty miles long with a mean 
breadth of five miles, and contains an area of 124 square miles, one-half of which 
is in cultivation. Lands have advanced in price in the past ten years about fort) 7 
per cent., and near Yorktown about sixty per cent. 

The surface is level, the soil varying from a light loam in the south to clay in 
the north, and generally of a good quality. 

Farm products are corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, etc. Considerable fruit of the 
various varieties is grown, and melons in great abundance. The York and other 
streams abound in the finest of oysters, and this is the leading money product of 
the county; also fish of every variety are in great abundance. These and truck 
farming constitute the county's most profitable industries. Some portions of 
the county are very well adapted to stock raising, especially sheep. 

The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad passes through the southwest border of the 
county, and a survey has been made for a railroad from Yorktown to Hampton, 
which, if built, will be a great benefit to the county. 

Water courses are numerous. Besides Chesapeake bay, York, Poquoson and 
Back rivers, there are numerous navigable creeks, all of which afford excellent 
shipping facilities, which have been greatly improved the past few years, having 
daily steamers to the wharves from Baltimore and Norfolk. There are no minerals 
except marl, which is in great abundance. The county has been largely depleted 
of timber, and second growth now constitutes the principal supply. Manufac- 
tories are limited to lumber plants and barrel factories, of which there are several. 
In climate, health and water this county compares favorably with other counties 
of this section. Churches of all the Protestant denominations, and public schools 
are numerous and convenient. Telephone service excellent, embracing a hundred 
miles of line, reaching to all sections. 

Population, census of 1910, 7,757. 

Yorktown, the county seat, is located on York river near its mouth, thirty- 
three miles from Norfolk and seventy miles from Richmond. While a town of 
limited population and advantages, is possesses a historic interest second to none 
other in the confines of our great country, as having been the scene of the closing 
conflict for American independence, where, on October 19, 1781, the army of 
Cornwallis surrendered to the combined armies of America and France, which 
notable event was, a century later commemorated by the erection by the govern- 
ment, near the spot, of an imposing monument, ninety-seven feet in height, 
adorned with patriotic devices and inscriptions, and pronounced by travelers to 
be the handsomest monument in the world. This county was also the scene of 
the first battle of the late war fought at Big Bethel, as well as the last battle of 
the Revolution fought at Yorktown. 

"The Moore House," on Temple farm, lying in a peninsula formed by York 
river, Waverly creek and Mill Pond, one mile east of Yorktown, is another precious 
relic of our past history, noted as the place of capitulation of the army of Corn- 
wallis to the armies of Washington, Lafayette and Rochambeau. The house is 
still occupied as a residence, and stands about fifty feet above York river, com- 
manding a beautiful view of the Chesapeake bay, Yorktown monument and 
quaint old Yorktown. All along the York river are beautiful residential sites, 
breezy the year round, and overlooking the placid blue waters of the broad river. 

Other towns in the county are Grafton and Poquoson, and the branches of the 
Peninsula Bank are located at these points, indicating the demands of a growing 
business in this section. 



Cities of Virginia. 



ALEXANDRIA. 



Alexandria, the county seat of Alexandria, is situated on the Potomac river, 
six miles south of Washington, and is in full view of the national capital, with 
which it is closely related in social and business affairs. 

Transportation facilities are afforded by six great trunk railways and six steamer 
lines. The largest vessels find a safe landing at the wharves on the Potomac 
river. 

The census of 1910 gave the city a population of 15,329. 

Among the numerous enterprises located at Alexandria are four glass factories, 
viz.: Old Dominion Glass Company, Belle Pre Bottle Company, Alexandria 
Glass Company and Virginia Glass Company. The Bliss Silk Throwing Company, 
Board, Armstrong & Co. Cider and Vinegar Plant, The Emerson Engine Com- 
pany and The Riley Basket Factory have recently located here. 

The city has made rapid progress in the past few years. The work of paving 
the streets with vitrified brick has been extended to all parts of the city. The 
water supply is of the purest. Excellent public schools are conducted in this 
city, the educational advantages being all that could be desired, and the churches 
are large and elegant. 

During the past year the city of Alexandria has steadily advanced in material 
prosperity along many lines, with the best indications that this progressiveness 
will be maintained and increased in the succeeding years. The general improve- 
ment has been brought about by a combination of causes, including a remarkable 
development of the transportation facilities both by rail and water, the skillful 
handling of the city finances, and the adoption by the city council of many methods 
having especially in view the encouragement of the growth and advancement of 
the city. 



BRISTOL. 

In the history of Virginia cities perhaps none has had more remarkable 
growth in substantial manufacturing and municipal improvement as well as in 
the volume of business done by wholesale and retail men, than that of Bristol, 
situated partly in Tennessee and partly in Virginia. The main street of the city 
is the boundary line between the old mother and the volunteer States, and while 
the city proper is under two municipal governments and gives allegiance to two 
States so far as Bristol is concerned there is only one city to the prosperous and 
contented people who live in it. 

As a magnificent frame to this picturesque place nature has provided mountain 
ranges on all sides, just leaving gaps through which the mighty arms of steel may 
find their circuitous way. The city is in the very heart of the great Appalachian 
region, a section of country noted for its wealth of coal, iron, copper, salt, cement, 
the finest grades of hardwood timber for furniture and cabinet work, a soil that 
takes second rank to none in the United States in the production of wheat, rye, 
corn, and oats; where the apple flourishes to best advantage, and where every 
opportunity is offered and every resource provided for man's comfort and happi- 
ness. 

The city has an altitude of 1,760 feet above sea level, while the residence sections 
of town are nearer 2,000 feet. These residence streets, with their beautiful homes 
and villas, from their various locations, look down upon the busy business or man- 



239 



ufacturing sections of town, while to the east, south and west the mountain chains, 
reaching upward to the ethereal sky, offer always rest, and repose to the eye. 

The Norfolk & Western Railway winds its way into the city from the northeast 
through the beautiful Valley of Virginia to where the Holston and the Walker 
ranges narrow a few miles above the city, and the Great Creator in fashioning 
these beautiful highlands designed a continuous gorge through the mountains 
northwestward into the field where He deposited the coal to heat the universe. 
At one point on this road is a freak of nature that has amazed thousands of tour- 
ists. This is the Natural Tunnel, through which the buffaloes of the early day 
found their way under the mountains, and in their trail came the early Indian, 
and behind him Daniel Boone who blazed the way for civilization. Behind 
Boone and the early settlers who were the progenitors of the present native moun- 
tain stock came the steel rails and the monster locomotive, so that today through 
this natural opening underneath the towering mountain the buffalo track has 




NEW ROAD-BUILDING IN VIRGINIA. 

been wiped out and given way to the grinding wheels of steady commerce. No 
visitor to Bristol or any section of this country should fail to journey by train a 
few minutes out of this city and spend hours at this tunnel, in the middle of which 
is a vast volcano-like dome through which, as a telescope, may be seen the skies 
by day and the diamond sprinkled heavens by night. 

The Virginia & Southwestern, aside from tapping the coal fields of the north- 
west, goes down into the Sapphire country on the border of North Carolina, and the 
main stem of the Southern Railway, with northern terminus at Bristol, runs south- 
east to New Orleans direct via Knoxville, Chattanooga and Birmingham, while 
Bristol is on the direct line of the great North and South fast trains connecting 
New York and Washington and New Orleans and Memphis. 

Bristol is a city of all modern improvements. The streets in the business 
section are paved with brick and wood blocks and the very highest class of mac- 
adamized roadways spread out in all directions through the residence portions 
of the town. 



240 

The water supply is of pure spring origin brought in by underground pipe line 
from a mammoth spring five miles distant. Because of altitude and the pure 
mountain atmosphere there is an absolute absence of mosquitoes, and there is 
no malaria in Bristol or in this section. 

Leading into the city from the remote corners of Sullivan county, Tennessee, 
and from the hills and valleys of the upper section of Washington county, Virginia, 
the finest system of macadamized pike roads built to engineering grades and 
standardization run into Bristol as trade feeders. These roads penetrate the rich 
farming lands on all sides of the city and have made the growing of grain and 
raising of cattle exceedingly easy because of the speed and economy of getting 
the products to market. 

Thirteen miles distant from the city on what has been formerly operated as a 
narrow gauge steam railroad, but which is to be electrified during the early part 
of 1911, is one of the most noted and delightful summer resorts in this entire moun- 
tain chain. 

During the summer period the numerous cottages along the banks of Big Creek, 
a pure mountain stream whose turbulent waters abound in game fish, are occu- 
pied by families from Bristol and nearby towns. A strong land company begun 
to rapidly develop this resort and at the close of the season had made plans for 
the construction and operation of the first-class modern hotel at the point where 
Big Creek empties into the south fork of the Holston river, one of the most pic- 
turesque of the beautiful mountain streams in the Appalachian region. 

In 1910, Bristol did a jobbing business exceeding $16,000,000. More than 
$1,250,000 went into new buildings, machinery and in capitalizing new concerns. 
The gross increase in business in 1910 over 1909 was $4,896,000. The confidential 
reports made to the Board of Trade showed the payrolls of the various industries 
operated in Bristol, inclusive of the large mercantile interests, was $1,297,000. 

The jobbing business of Bristol, represented in thirty houses dealing in exclu- 
sive lines increased over 45%, and in the retail mercantile lines 40%. In spite 
of the fact that during 1910, $1,232,000 was taken out of circulation and put into 
new buildings, machinery and in the purchasing of jobbing stock, the bank deposits 
increased $318,000, or 17.7%. The two Bristols spent in municipal development 
work during 1910, $326,227. Sullivan county, of which Bristol is a part, put 
$250,000 into public roads and at the close of 1911 will have run the total amount 
up to $350,000. Washington county, Virginia, of which Bristol is also a part, 
in 1910 spent $150,000 on its public roads, and extensions to cost $50,000 were 
being made in the spring of 1911. 

Several large buildings were erected in 1910 for jobbing houses and manufacturing 
plants. The business at the Post Office had grown to such proportion that a 
$32,000 annex was added. At the close of 1911, $100,000 will have been spent 
in the construction and improvement of churches. 

Over 600,000 passengers were handled by the railroads into and out of Bristol 
during 1910. The increase during that year in freight receipts was 8,900 cars, 
and Bristol merchants and manufacturers loaded out last year 7,165 more cars 
of freight than they did the year previous. 

In educational lines Bristol has ten public school buildings and such .noted 
educational institutions as Sullins College (Methodist), Virginia Intermont College 
(Baptist), for the higher education of young ladies, and King College (Presby- 
terian), for young men and theological students, each of these colleges draw- 
ing young men and women from many States of the Union. 

Among the various products turned out from Bristol -plants are engines and 
boilers, car wheels, steel dump mine cars, paper, leather belting, tanning extracts, 
hubs, spokes and wagons, every kind and character of high-class building material, 
artificial stone, bricks, coffins and caskets, wash boards and wash tubs, stoves and 
ranges, hosiery and knit goods, overalls, jumpers and pants, pharmaceutical 
preparations and patent medicines, whiskey, candy, chewing gum, flour and 
various other essentials to business life. The capacity of the roller flouring mills 
is seven hundred barrels per day, and during certain periods this industry operates 
double shifts to meet demands. 

Bristol has twenty-six churches, representing all denominations, a Young 
Men's Christian Association building costing $80,000, two city halls representing 
an investment of more than $150,000, and a magnificent Elks' Home. 



241 

The street car lines extend to all parts of the city, and during the latter part of 
1910, a strong company purchased the electric light and gas plant and contracted 
for the construction of a dam on the Watauga river, which will generate 3,000 
hydro-electric h. p., and this tremendous amount of energy has been brought to 
Bristol over twenty one miles of copper wire for use in Bristol manufacturing 
plants. 

An effort is being made to attract thousands of settlers to Southwest Virginia, 
to occupy the hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile lands that only need to 
be tickled by the hand of industry to make them support the prosperous people. 
The land is still cheap in Southwest Virginia, and because of numerous rail and 
pike roads is convenient to all markets. 



BUENA VISTA. 

Buena Vista, as a home, combines all the advantages of beautiful scenery, 
an invigorating climate, and pure mountain water, with good schools and churches. 
As a place for business, it offers abundant natural resources, good transportation, 
cheap labor and a most favorable location with respect to the sources of raw 
material as well as to market. It is a town that has survived the stress of industrial 
and commercial depressions and fluctuations, and today it is enjoying greater 
prosperity, and has a brighter future than at any other time of its history. 

Buena Vista is situated on one of the most desirable parts of the Valley of 
Virginia. 

It lies between the western slopes of the Blue Ridge mountains and the north 
branch of James river, eight miles from Lexington, and fourteen miles from one 
of nature's greatest wonders — Natural Bridge. 

Its altitude ranges from 1,000 to 1,100 feet above sea level, while the mountains 
on the east and south rise to a height of 2,500 feet. Its climate is not severe in 
winter, and in summer its fresh breezes and cool nights bring health and comfort. 
In no part of this favored section has nature been more lavish with her beauty 
or combined more varied charms of scenery. 

It is located on two railroads — the Shenandoah Valley division of the Norfolk 
and Western and the James River division of the Chesapeake and Ohio, the lat- 
ter connecting at Lexington with the Valley division of the Baltimore and Ohio. 

By these railroads Buena Vista is furnished coal from the Pocahontas region 
of Virginia, and from the New river district of West Virginia, at low rates. In 
the immediate section surrounding the town are vast mineral and timber resources, 
and fertile blue grass lands. The water power furnished by North river is but 
partially utilized. 

The town has a population of 3,500 industrious and thrifty people. It owns its 
water works, and purest freestone water is supplied by gravity from limpid moun- 
tain streams. 

An electric light plant, owned by the town, but now leased, furnishes lights, 
arc and incandescent, on most reasonable terms. There are eight churches, 
two banks, a modern and well equipped sanitarium, and numerous stores in the 
town. 

A public graded school, with an enrollment of about five hundred and a capable 
corps of teachers, is maintained nine months in the year, and thorough work is 
being done. There is also the Southern Seminary, a college for young ladies, 
with splendid buildings, capable of furnishing accommodation for 150 to 200 girls. 

Among the enterprises now in successful operation are the following: Paper 
and pulp mill, blast furnace, extract plant, a silk mill, and fire brick plant, a 
tannery and a foundry, two banks, a sash, door and blind factory, fertilizer works, 
saddle factory, and a patent roller flour mill. 

In the foothills near the town, mining operations are successfully carried on. 
The mountains surrounding the town abound in beautiful pink sandstone. 

From the character of the enterprises now in operation a large per cent, of the 
employees are men. The women and children in the homes would supply the 
necessary help in knitting mills, shirt factories and similar industries. Buena 
Vista's location in the Iron Belt and its railroad facilities make it a fine site for 
car-plant, machine shop and the manufacture of all iron products. As an index 



242 

to the volume of business done in the town, mention is made of the fact that the 
receipt for freight hauled to and from the town by the two railroads passing 
through it for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1905, amounted to $324,557.67. 

With its wealth of natural resources, its superior transportation facilities, its 
proximity to the great markets, its central geographical position, which puts the 
southern as near as the northern trade, Buena Vista offers a combination of advan- 
tages that few other localities of the South can equal. 

Her people are liberal and broad-minded, and bid strangers welcome. Cheap 
houses and cheap sites can be secured on easy terms. 



CHARLOTTESVILLE. 

Charlottesville, the county seat of Albemarle, with about twelve thousand 
inhabitants at the intersection of two great trunk lines, the Chesapeake and 
Ohio railroad east and west, and the Southern raihoad north and south, is near 
the center of the State. 

Nestling along the slope of a beautiful valley, rich in educational facilities, 
blessed with an equable climate, weU elevated, well drained, with people of culture 
and refinement, Charlottesville is most attractive to the homeseeker and the student. 

Here is situated the University of Virginia, the capstone of the free school 
system of the State, set like an emerald in these eternal hills; she is unique in 
learning and in loveliness. 

The city is not lacking in advancement along the line of municipal utilities. 
She owns her water works, sewerage system and gas plant, and is lighted by elec- 
tricity. Daily and weekly newspapers are published here. A well-equipped 
electric railway adds convenience to travel. Her main thoroughfare is paved 
with brick. 

In addition to the various business and mercantile industries usuaUy found 
in cities like Charlottesville, there are planing mills, flouring and grist mills, the 
Charlottesville Woolen Mills, the Monticello Wine Company, an overall factory, 
the Michie Company, law book publishers, stove works, two carriage factories, 
a foundry, an adding machine factory, a cigar factory and an up-to-date ice plant- 
There are here the Moore's Brook Sanatorium, for inebriates and the insane, 
the Martha Jefferson Sanitarium, the University Hospital, a United States court 
and post office, a splendid new home for the Y. M. C. A., and the Jefferson Park 
Hotel, a delightful and popular summer resort. 

Among the secret orders, clubs and fraternal organization here are the Eagles, 
Elks, Red Land Club, Masons, Odd FeUows, Tribe of Ben Hur, Heptasophs, 
J. O. U. A. M., Maccabees, and all of the raihoad orders. 

All of the principal religious denominations are represented in Charlottesville. 
There are a number of substantial and beautiful churches, many of them recently 
rebuilt with modern equipment. 

The growth of the city is not spasmodic, but continuous and regular. Has 
a population of 6,765 people. 

DANVILLE. 

Danville is located in Pittsylvania, the largest county in the State of Virginia, in 
the Piedmont section, on the banks of Dan river, which has within easy access of 
her use a developed and undeveloped water power of forty-four feet fall. Nature 
has been most lavish to this favored spot in bestowing upon it climatic and hygienic 
conditions which render it unsurpassed in healthfulness, and make it most desir- 
able as a home. 

Situated in view of, and protected by the nearby mountains, she rises some 
600 feet above sea level; the temperature is rarely below twenty degrees in winter 
and scarcely ever above ninety in the summer. Being built on many hills, whose 
feet are washed by a bold river, giving many thousand horse power, she has un- 
surpassed natural drainage; and the picturesque mountain scenery and the adja- 
cent virgin forests make Danville a city unparalleled by any in the southland in 
natural advantages. 

In 1870 Danville was incorporated as a city, with a population of 5,000. Since 
that time her progress has been steadily upward. She has increased from 5,000 



243 

to 25,000 inhabitants. The year 1909 has been eventful in the city's growth 
and development, from the fact that more building has been done in that period 
than any corresponding period in her history, and fully as much as $2,000,000 
has been expended on that alone. The old brick sidewalk on the main thorough- 
fare is fast giving away to handsome granolithic sidewalks and granite curbing, 
and the Main Street, in Danville, Va., is said to be the handsomest thoroughfare 
in the South. A recent bond issue of $100,000 was ordered in an election this fall 
for the purpose of paving West Main extension and erecting the fourth iron bridge 
across Dan river. 

For the first time in many years, Danville had a fair this fall, which was a decided 
success from every standpoint, and one who visited the fair could form some idea 
of the attainment and possibilities of Danville and surrounding territory from 
the mechanical and agricultural exhibits shown at it. 

Danville owns her own water, gas, electric light and power plants, the products 
of which are furnished at an exceedingly low rate, and still has a considerable 
supply of water for prospective manufacturers. Our public utilities and other 
property are conservatively estimated to be worth one million dollars in excess 
of our bonded indebtedness. 

The water supply of Danville is ample for a city of 75,000 people. Flowing 
from the Blue Ridge mountains, and by gravity from the Dan river into our 
large and modern settling basin, after being clarified by the most approved meth- 
ods, its lightness and purity is in every respect excellent for household purposes, 
and so determined by recent analysis. The commodious reservoir is of such 
elevation as to give the highest points of the city ample supply for domestic 
use and fire protection to the business district by natural pressure. 

Danville has a most excellent sewerage system underlining the whole city, 
which, together with the natural drainage, renders it one of the most healthful 
cities in the South. 

Our hotels are first class, the Burton and the Morgan being the leading hotels in 
the city, not to mention the smaller ones. The new Hotel Burton, with its annex, 
recently equipped, cost $230,000. 

Danville has handsome churches, representing all denominations and races. 
The best fellowship prevails among them. 

An undenominational orphanage, a very handsome and commodious building 
recently donated by one of our citizens, with an average of forty inmates, is well 
supported by voluntary contributions. 

Danville is proud of her General Hospital and two private sanitariums. It 
boasts of its fine school of physicians and surgeons, and to go abroad for outside 
talent is rarely suggested. 

Danville's Y. M. C. A., built by public subscription, costing $40,000, is one of 
the handsomest of its kind in the South. 

Danville's public school system is one of the best in the State. To supplement 
the already splendid equipment and buildings, a large and commodious building 
has been erected in Rison Park, costing $71,000 completed. There are also two 
large colleges for young ladies — The Roanoke College and the Randolph-Macon 
Institute; the Danville School for boys (boarding), half a mile from the city limits, 
splendid in its location. The Roanoke College has recently purchased a lot on 
west Main street, where a large college building will be erected; the Commercial 
College, besides numerous private schools, night schools and kindergartens. All 
of these institutions are in a nourishing condition and have a large patronage. 

Danville has a finely equipped electric street railway, forty miles of paved 
streets, a new theater costing $40,000, and two large and beautiful parks, one of 
which, Ballou Park, contains fifty-two acres and in which natural scenery and 
beauty of landscape equal any in the South. 

Tobacco is the main staple, and Danville is the largest bright loose-leaf tobacco 
market in the world. This market handles 45,000,000 to 65,000,000 pounds of 
tobacco annually, for which it pays to the farmers $4,000,000 to $7,000,000. 
Since 1869 this market has sold for the farmers 1,261,888,230 pounds of leaf 
tobacco. This estimate includes only tobacco sold in loose condition on our 
warehouse floors, but millions of pounds of hogshead tobacco are handled annually 
which are not included in the above statistics. 

There are ten warehouses for the storage of leaf tobacco, some of which are for 



244 

private and some for public storage, with a total capacity of 40,000 hogsheads, 
of 40,000,000 pounds of leaf tobacco. 

We have over $12,000,000 invested in manufacturing enterprises other than 
tobacco, chief among which are our textile industries, employing over 5,000 
hands. The product of these mills is known everywhere, and is of the finest quality 
manufactured in the South. 

Other important industries are two furniture factories, an elevator company, 
manufacturing high-class electric, passenger and freight elevators, overall factories, 
hosiery and knitting mills, brick and cement factories, flouring mills, grist mills, 
and a number of tobacco factories and leaf plants, two ice plants, wholesale lum- 
bering and planing mills, wagon, dray and truck manufactories, book binderies 
and job printing establishments, and many other manufactories of various kinds. 

We have seven banks in the most flourishing condition. Four large building and 
loan associations, with ample capital to conduct the business and supply the 
demands made upon them. The payroll of our city goverment amounts to $150,- 
000 yearly. The large industries of Danville pay out through the envelope system 
alone over $75,000 per week. 

Our wholesale business is immense, and the retail business in a most nourishing 
condition; in fact, there are few things lacking in Danville which contribute to 
the happiness and comfort of a great city. It goes without saying that we are well 
supplied with telegraphic and telephone service; also with a complete complement 
of fraternal organizations. Danville is indeed metropolitan and cosmopolitan, 
and yet so situated in its topography that none of the crowded and congested 
conditions exist. 

Danville is on the main line of the Southern railway, 140 miles from Richmond, 
240 miles from Washington, 400 miles from Atlanta. The Atlantic and Danville 
gives direct connection to the Seaboard at Norfolk, 208 miles distant, and the 
Danville and Western to Leakesville and Stuart. Twenty-two passenger trains 
pass Danville every twenty-four hours. 

The territory adjacent to Danville is rich in mineral ores, and mineral springs 
abound, adding to the health and happiness of the people. 

The Piedmont section is one of the most fertile regions of the South, producing 
bountifully the various crops usually grown in this region. Danville is the border 
city, being two and one-half miles from the North Carolina line, and is the market, 
and naturally so, for a very large territory in the two States. 

Danville, appreciating the productiveness of this section, is joining hands with 
the adjacent counties in macadamizing every road leading into this beautiful city. 

Our postoffice is already one of the largest and best equipped United States 
government buildings in the State. Due to the increased mail demands, the 
necessity for the enlargement of the building became eminent, and our Congress- 
man, Hon. E. W. Saunders, succeeded in securing an appropriation of $75,000 
for that purpose. 

Her citizens are gentle, refined and cultured and proverbially energetic. They 
are ever alert to the advancement of their beloved city, hence the Commer- 
cial Association was established. It is in a position to offer cheap building sites to 
new manufacturing enterprises, and if conditions warrant, to donate others. 



FREDERICKSBURG. 

Fredericksburg is sixty miles north of Richmond and sixty miles south of Wash- 
ington; is at the head of tidewater in the Rappahannock river valley and is within 
a few hours of the big markets of the eastern seaboard. Five great trunk fines 
run their trains through the city every day over the Richmond, Fredericksburg 
and Potomac railroad; the Potomac, Fredericksburg and Piedmont railroad 
furnishes transportation facilities west, and connection with the Southern, and 
Chesapeake and Ohio railroads, and large steamers and freight barges ship from 
the city's wharves, provide this section with cheap water freights. This city and 
section are healthful, no epidemic ever having visited them, and the death rate 
is extremely low. A splendid water power of a present capacity of five thousand 
horse power, and a possible capacity of ten thousand, furnishes cheap power to 
three large flour mills, two electric light plants, stone cutters, large woolen mill, 



245 



large silk mill, and other factories. There are in addition to the factories mentioned 
two shoe factories, one shirt factory, canning factory, overalls and pants factory, 
cigar factory, several wood-working plants, the largest sumac mills in the South, 
and a large tannery and three newspapers and several printing offices, in addition 
to numerous other smaller manufacturing plants. Several large pickle factories 
and excelsior mills, and two large iron foundries, with the other factories furnish 
employment to many hundreds of workmen and women and add to the business 
importance of the city. Fredericksburg is the center of the hardwood trade of 
the State and is the main terminus of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 
railroad. 

The last few years have been marked by great material progress in this city. 
The sound of the saw and hammer are heard on every side as substantial business 
houses and beautiful residences are being erected. The city has taken on new 
life and awakened to the splendid possibilities possessed. Real estate values have 




GOOD TYPES OF VIRGINIA CATTLE. 

steadily increased during the last five years from thirty to one hundred per cent. 
The growth of population has been gradual but steady. Fredericksburg offers 
splendid opportunities for the location of factories on account of her excellent 
water power. The credit of the city is unsurpassed,- its four per cent, bonds selling 
at a handsome premium. 

In 1906 the stock of the Fredericksburg Power Company changed hands, and 
they have approximately spent $250,000.00, increasing the magnificent water 
power afforded by the Rappahannock river. Hydraulic experts state that with the 
completion of this development, a constant power of 60,000 horse power will be 
offered resulting in cheap power, and the construction of other manufacturing 
plants on the excellent sites here obtainable. 

To those in search of homes or manufacturing sites, Fredericksburg offers 
many advantages. The city is rich in historical associations, with a cultured and 
refined people and a mild and delightful climate, making it an ideal spot for the 
homeseeker. 

The country contiguous is the equal of any in the world for combined general 
farming, stock raising, grasses, vegetables, fruits, grain fuel, water, fish and game, 
and the climate is mild and equable, the mountains to the west about fifty miles 



246 

sheltering this section, and the Gulf stream off the capes adding to its healthful 
ness and genial qualities. Fredericksburg has a popidation of 5,874. 



HARRISONBURG. 

Harrisonburg, the county seat of Rockingham county, located on the Southern 
railway, the Chesapeake- Western and the Valley railroads, 10 miles southwest from 
Washington, 122 miles southwest from Richmond, 25 miles north from Staunton, and 
40 miles from Charlottesville, at an elevation of 1,200 feet above the sea level, is in 
the midst of a wealthy agricultural section, unsurpassed in healthfulness and for 
scenic beauty. Its population of 5,000 — an increase of about 2,000 over the last 
census — is progressive and almost wholly native-born. The recent opening of 
the State Normal and Industrial School for Women, the completion of a $25,000 
high school building, and two thoroughly modern equipped graded public schools, 
furnish unrivaled educational advantages — comparing favorably in this regard 
with the large cities of the State. In commercial importance it is rapidly developing. 
There are two national and one state bank, having an aggregate capital stock of 
$370,000 and total resources exceeding $2,740,000; two daily newspapers, the 
News, with a circulation of 5,500, and the Times, of 3,000; a large wood-working 
manufacturing plant; a steam tannery, with an output of 1,800 hides per week; 
two large merchant flouring mills, with combined capacity of 350 barrels daily; 
two wholesale grocery firms; two produce exchanges; several cigar factories, ice 
plants, a cold storage, carriage factory, furniture establishment and other thriving 
business interests. It has an extensive trade with many counties of West Vir- 
ginia, being their principal shipping point. Recently it has been made the dis- 
tributing station for the International Harvester Company for several States. 

The town owns its water supply, brought by gravity from mouutain springs, 
thirteen miles, with sufficient capacity for 40,000 persons; owns its up-to-date 
electric plant for fighting streets and for domestic purposes, and modern sewer 
system. During 1909 over $250,000 was expended in the buildings and im- 
provements. The tax rate is only 65 cents on the $100 of value; and $30,000 is 
expended annually in municipal improvements. The site for the Rockingham 
Memorial Hospital has been secured, and the plans are being prepared for a 
complete building. There are fourteen churches. The town has free delivery of 
mail; a splendid system of mutual telephone connections with Rockingham and 
the adjoining counties, and also long-distance service with large cities. 



LYNCHBURG. 

Lynchburg is located in Campbell County, but for all practical purposes it is 
located in the exact center of the State of Virginia, and central to three of the 
richest and most progressive counties in the State, viz., Amherst, Campbell and 
Bedford. 

Lynchburg was laid out as a town in 1786 and named after John Lynch, an 
officer in the Continental Army during the Revolution, and one of the first settlers. 
He donated the land for its site. This site has always been an important trading 
point because it is located at the principal pass through the Blue Ridge mountains 
and was for many years the western teminus of canal transportation from Rich- 
mond. It was the commercial metropolis of the country, embracing as its markets 
large portions of the States of North Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, and being 
the natural gateway and distributing point of this rich and extensive territory 
which embraces within its precincts one of the greatest apple growing and agri- 
cultural sections in the world. With railroad facilities and modern equipment of 
every kind, Lynchburg has largely increased its importance as a manufacturing 
and commercial center. 

Lynchburg has in fact not only maintained its commerical and industrial impor- 
tance, but during the past twenty years has had a creative development in com- 
merce and manufactures that is little short of phenomenal. The manufacturing 
business a score of years ago was confined almost exclusively to tobacco. With 
the advent of the tobacco trust and their policy of centralizing their plants, the 
tobacco manufacturing business in Lynchburg began to shrink and other products 



247 

had to be developed to take its place. So well did Lynchburg meet this condition 
that there are now twenty-eight distinctive manufacturing plants located in 
Lynchburg. It ranks fifth in the manufacture of shoes in the United States and 
makes more shoes than all the balance of the South combined. Lynchburg is 
also the second cast iron pipe market in the South, and has the largest bark extract 
mill for making tannic acids in the world. Manufacturing industries are: Shoes 
(men's, women's and children's), hosiery, cotton goods, shirts, overalls, lounges, 
mattresses, cast iron pipe, cigarette machines, cigarettes, tools and foundry pro- 
ducts, plows, buggies and wagons, blank books and stationery, wooden and paper 
boxes, extracts for tanning and dyeing, flour, meal and mill feed, fine confections, 
tobacco (plug and smoking), barytes, sash, door, blinds and mill work, brick, 
brooms, drugs, gloves, harness, ice, hats. 

Lynchburg, Va., enjoys the reputation of having more hills than any city 
in America. These hills are rapidly becoming an asset to the city, enabling the 
plan for civic beauty to be carried out on a scale impossible where the topography 
of the outlying country and the city itself is level. 

That these hills have not interfered with the business developments is proven 
by the volume of business. That they are an asset to beauty and health is shown 
by the death rate of Lynchburg, which is 15.3 per cent, per thousand population, 
as against a rate of 17.4 in Philadelphia, Pa., a rate of 19.3 in Washington, D. C, 
which is considered one of the cleanest cities in the United States, and a rate of 
17.5 in Memphis, Tenn., 23.6 in Denver, Col., all of which are conspicuous as 
healthful cities, some of them being known as health resorts. 

Lynchburg is a typical modern industrial center, but industry has not been 
allowed to retard the development of the civic side. As compared with forty 
cities of approximately the same size as Lynchburg, it is a proven fact that this 
city stands in the front rank of progressive cities in the past ten years. 

About 200 miles from the Atlantic coast, at an altitude of 685 feet above sea- 
level, Lynchburg enjoys climatic and healthful conditions unsurpassed anywhere. 

The coldest month in the year in Lynchburg is January. The average tempera- 
ture in January for the past ten years is 36 degrees. 

The hottest month in Lynchburg is July, and Lynchburg's average temperature 
for that month for the past ten years is 77 degrees. 

There is a conspicuous absence of extremes. Bitter cold days never occur, 
and even in the summer time there is rarely ever a period of extreme heat which 
lasts over a day or two. 

AUDITORIUM FOR CONVENTIONS. 
A magnificent auditorium with a seating capacity of 2,023. 

HOTELS. 

Lynchburg's hotel facilities are to be augmented immediately by the construction 
of new modern, fireproof hotels to cost a quarter of a million dollars. 

Lynchburg's water works system cost over a million dollars. Water is brought 
by the gravity system from Pedlar river, a mountain stream twenty-seven miles 
away. The system is perfect. There is pure water, an abundance for all time, 
and it is WATER — limpid, sparkling and clear as the mountain stream from 
which it flows into the reservoir of the city. 

EDUCATIONAL. 

In no other city in the United States has more ample provision been made for 
public school education. During the fiscal year 1909 alone there were added to 
the already extensive school system a modern, up-to-date high school building, 
at a cost of $125,000, exclusive of the cost of the lot, and three other grammar 
school buildings, at a total cost of $75,000. One enrollment now amounts to 
4,534, being 68 per cent, per thousand of population. 

In less than two hour's ride from Lynchburg are located the University of Virginia 
and Washington and Lee University, the Virginia Military Institute, Virginia 
Polytechnic Institute, Sweet Briar College for Women, and within the city limits 
is the Virginia Christian College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. 

The latter college ranks with Vassar, Smith, Bryn Mawr, etc., and stands 
thus as a representative of the South among the sixteen colleges for women in the 



248 

United States which are classified in "Division A" by the United States Bureau 
of Education. 

The rolling country upon which Lynchburg is built makes it an ideal residential 
city. The whole is surrounded by a fringe of mountains, ranging from ones of 
modest height to the beautiful "Peaks of Otter," 4,000 feet high. 

The view from the residential section of Lynchburg — the azure skies, the varying 
tints of foliage, the hills and vales, and the dark blue of the mountains framing it 
all — is one of gorgeous beauty. 

Because of the protection of the mountains, Lynchburg is free from violent 
storms, either wind or rain, and some of the most famous health resorts in the 
country are in its vicinity. 

Lynchburg is truly a city of churches. There are very few, if any, cities in the 
United States of double Lynchburg's population that can boast of so many costly 
edifices as this city. The church property is valued at much over a million dollars. 

Lynchburg has a modern Y. M. C. A. building, valued at over $125,000. The 
Central Y. M. C. A. building is modern in every respect and the Association owns 
an athletic field of many acres extent. Seventeen hundred members are enrolled 
in its books. 

Lynchburg boasts of modern fireproof apartments which have appointments 
and service equal to that maintained in the largest cities. 

Lynchburg's street railway system is modern in all of its equipment. The total 
mileage is 14.1, and during the year 1909, there were handled 4,594,143 passengers. 

There are 18.3 lineal miles of paved streets, 39.1 miles of sidewalks and 229,691 
feet of sewerage pipe. 

Five fire companies, one hook and ladder truck and forty-seven paid firemen 
give the city adequate fire protection. 

The six banking institutions of Lynchburg are in a flourishing condition, having 
a combined capital of $1,775,000.00. Surplus, $1,775,000.00; total deposits 
amounting to $1,482,793.68; loans and discounts, $9,616,215.73; undivided profits, 
$291,266.76. 

Lynchburg has two excellent daily newspapers, morning and afternoon, the 
News and the Advance. 

Eleemosynary institutions around Lynchburg are Presbyterian Orphanage, 
Miller Orphan Asylum and the Odd Fellows Home for the State of Virginia. These 
institutions stand in commodious grounds and are well established financially 
and otherwise. 

In transportation facilities, there is no city in the United States of the same 
size that enjoys better accommodations. The three largest railroads in the South — 
the Southern, Norfolk and Western, and Chesapeake and Ohio operate main lines 
through this city; also the Lynchburg and Durham railroad, and there is a direct 
connection with the new forty-million-dollar Virginian railway, which was first 
opened for traffic about a year ago. 

Thirty-two passenger trains operate through Lynchburg daily. There is direct 
sleeping car service in every direction, arranged for convenient hours night and 
morning. 

The advantages of Lynchburg as a manufacturing center, on account of its 
splendid water power, close proximity to a vast tributary country furnishing all 
kinds of raw materials and unexcelled transportation facilities and low freight 
rates, together with a stragetical location in relation to the markets of the South, 
all combine to make Lynchburg an ideal city for both manufacturing and dis- 
tributing enterprises. 

There are twenty-eight distinctive manufacturing establishments, numbering 
over sixty concerns. 

The capital employed in Lynchburg's manufacturing plants reached the sum 
of $10,461,957.89 January 1, 1911. The number of employees of these factories 
is 5,974. The amount paid out for the annual aggregate of pay rolls is $2,688,851 .26. 
The value of the output is $15,611,628.38. The value of the plants amounts to 
$5,628,229.03. 

A comparison of the manufacturing statistics for Lynchburg during the past 
three years shows that the increase has been at the ratio of ten per cent, a year. 
The largest plants in the city are those manufacturing shoes, cast iron pipe and 
plows, cotton goods, cigars, tobacco, flour, bark extract, barytes and textiles. 



249 

During the past year the building permits show a grand total amounting to 
$720,000.00. The class of all buildings, stores, dwellings, etc., is of the highest 
and represents the latest developments in modern building practise. 

Lynchburg has over $21,000,000.00 invested annually in manufacturing and 
distributing, and the annual volume of business amounts to over 145,000,000, or 
over a million and a quarter per thousand of population, and over $1,250 for 
each man, woman and child living therein. 

For manufacturing, Lynchburg has native-born white labor, industrious, ambi- 
tious and trained in factory practise and discipline. 

The census of 1910 shows that Lynchburg increased in population from 18,891 
to 29,494 in the past ten years — over a thousand per year, and a 56 per cent, 
increase in ten years. Lynchburg has 35,000 people in city and suburbs. 

We picked out forty-five cities at random from the census of 1910; seventeen 
showed over 50 per cent, increase in population in ten years and Lynchburg is near 
the head of the list. 

Lynchburg is growing at the rate of 56 per cent, in population in the past ten 
years, and at the rate of over 500 per cent, in manufactures during the same period. 

Lynchburg's natural market is the South. The bulk of its forty-five millions 
of annual business is done in this section, and the South is growing more rapidly 
in wealth and population than any other section of the United States. The proof 
is shown in the fact that out of forty-three cities selected at random, showing a 
growth in population of 50 per cent., fourteen of them were in the strictly Southern 
States. These figures were taken from the United States Government census of 
1910. 

TRANSPORTATION. 

It is due to the low freight rates and keen competition of four trunk lines of 
railroads that Lynchburg's wholesale and manufacturing business has been built 
up in twenty years from insignificant figures to over $45,000,000.00 annually — 
an increase of $2,000,000 yearly. 

Lynchburg has available plenty of cheap power with untold possibilities in the 
natural falls of the James river for future development. 

Lynchburg has a high-class, though cheap, labor supply. These things form 
a combination culminating to make Lynchburg a city of tremendous opportunity. 
As to raw materials 

At Lynchburg you have them right at hand. In Virginia alone, in the year 1908, 
there were produced more than 4,700,000 tons of coal, 479,000 tons of pig iron, 
4,114,000 tons of coke, and 1,393,000,000 board feet of lumber. 

Just for example: Within a radius of 250 miles of Lynchburg, in West Virginia, 
Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina, there were produced in 1908, 6,000,000 
tons of coke, 69,000,000 tons of coal, 1,250,000 tons of pig iron, 700,000 bales of 
cotton and 5,500,000,000 feet of lumber. 

So rapid has been this development that the past two years has seen the com- 
pletion of one additional line of railroad at a cost of over a million dollars, and 
the building of numerous branch lines on roads already existing and passing 
through Lynchburg. 

During eight years, Lynchburg's shoe manufacturing business has grown from 
nothing to nearly $5,000,000 annually, and in twenty-one years the total shoe 
business has grown from $500,000, in 1888, to over $9,000,000 in 1909— one 
thousand seven hundred per cent, increase in twenty-one years. This, in cold 
figures, describes the growth of Lynchburg's shoe business. 

In the nineteen years from 1890 to 1909, the value of Lynchburg-made cotton 
cloth, hosiery, overalls and shirts increased from $100,000 to $1,135,000 — a growth 
of over one thousand one hundred per cent. 

In the nine years from 1900 to 1909, the value of output of Lynchburg's largest 
vehicle factories increased from $318,000 to $640,000 — a growth in this brief 
period of over one hundred per cent. 



NEWPORT NEWS. 

Newport News is an important port and shipbuilding center — a modern city 
of Tidewater Virginia. [It was, according to the best authority, named for Sir 



250 

William Newce (a wealthy English soldier, who was granted 2,500 acres of land 
and settled at this point, October, 1621, dying soon after), and not, as is sometimes 
stated, after Captain Newport. This old English voyager died in Java prior to 
1617, more than four years before he is claimed to have relieved the settlement 
in 1621 with a shipload of provisions. Captain John Smith, in the General History 
of Virginia, November 22, 1621, mentions the place as Newport News, which is 
perhaps the first time the name occurs in history. 

Twenty-five years ago this peninsula, which is washed by the James river on 
the west and Hampton Roads on the south, was virtually a wilderness. Today 
it is a city, as modern and as enterprising as any in the country. Nearby, within 
the range of vision, is a population of 50,000, some day to become citizens of a 
metropolis that will extend from what is now known as North Newport News to 
the government reservation at Old Point, nine miles away. 

Between the city proper and Old Point is a section already well built up, embrac- 
ing the towns of Hampton and Phoebus, and another stretch of five miles between 
the former and Newport News, traversed by two electric lines and a railway, and 
building up with marvelous rapidity. 

Newport News is situated on a plateau considerably elevated above high tide, 
at the extreme end of the Virginia peninsula, where the historic James empties 
into Hampton Roads, twelve miles from Norfolk, seventy-five miles from Rich- 
mond and two hundred miles from Washington and Baltimore. 

The water supply is ample for all purposes and is brought in underground 
pipes from a lake sixteen miles north of the city. 

The streets of the city are nicely paved with sheet asphalt, and there are three 
costly viaducts spanning the Chesapeake and Ohio yards. It is well lighted by 
electricity and gas, and has a magnificent sanitary sewer system, a splendidly 
equipped fire department, and a well-organized and disciplined police force. 

The business of the city is in a splendid condition. Real estate values are firm, 
with no important failures. Industrial investments have recently been secured, 
including a shoe factory, brewery, and mantle and grate plant, besides several 
other minor operations. The city has a land assessment of $10,000,000, on per- 
sonalty, $10,000,000, with assessments on industries, hardly more than nominal, 
and bonded indebtedness less than $500,000. It has a tax rate of $1.50 for all 
purposes, $1.15 of which goes into the municipal and school coffers. 

The admirable climate, insignificant death rate and light percentage of sickness, 
commend it as a place of residence and business. 

There are twenty churches, representing the various denominations, many of 
which are costly and handsome edifices. School facilities are very superior, with 
a fine corps of efficient teachers, and five large brick school buildings and several 
smaUer city schools, in addition to a number of private educational institutions, 
including a kindergarten. Few cities of the same age and population anywhere 
have done so much for the education of the children. 

The city has seven banks — all sound and doing a flourishing business — and two 
excellent daily papers. The hotels of the city have excellent accommodations. 
The public buildings are a handsome courthouse, jail, and a government building 
erected at a cost of $250,000, for post office and custom house purposes. Building 
activity is very marked; new residences — and some very handsome ones — are 
going up in every section; also large and handsome business houses, and office 
buildings, school houses, engine houses, livery establishments, etc. 

Newport News has but one railroad, the Chesapeake and Ohio, which has all 
connections from the far west, and is looked upon as one of the great trunk fines 
of the country. It is the deep water terminal, and is one of the several factors of 
the development of the. city. 

It is the largest single railway terminal in the world. It has sixty-eight miles 
of track within its yard limits, with a storage capacity of 5,000 cars. It has a 
water front terminal of more than a mile, with eleven large, up-to-date piers with 
water of sufficient depth for the largest ship that floats to come right up to the 
shore alongside without the least danger of getting on the ground. The average 
depth of the water in the harbor is about forty feet. 

There are twoTlarge grain elevators with capacity of two and a half million 
bushels of grain. 
The railway company owns a fleet of two steamers, five up-to-date tug boats, 



251 

two car floats and ten coal barges, representing investment of probably $8,000,000. 

Newport News has the record of dumping more coal than at any port on the 
continent. The capacity of its piers is 30,000 tons per day, and the coal business 
is increasing year by year, which is shipped to New England ports and to all 
foreign countries. Most of the coal that was used for fuel purposes in the sixteen 
battleships that went around the world was shipped from Newport News. There 
is an average of 300,000 cars of all kinds handled annually in the yards of the 
Chesapeake and Ohio railway. 

Co-operating with the railroad are a number of shipping companies, which 
operate regular lines from Newport News to European ports, and in addition, a 
number of coastwise and river lines operating from this port to all points north 
and east. 

The passenger traffic in and out of Newport News is increasing year by year. 
Four daily trains leave for and arrive from all points west, and special sleeping 
car arrangement from Newport News to New York and Cincimiati, leaving Newport 
News in the afternoon and arriving in New York for breakfast next morning. 

Nearly 450,000,000 tons of coal are shipped annually. The railway and steam- 
ship companies pay out here for labor $900,000 annually. 

There are several foundries in a prosperous condition, also a knitting mill, shirt 
factory and tobacco factory. 

Another vast enterprise to which Newport News largely owes its existence is 
its Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. The ship yard employs 7,000 men and 
has a weekly pay roll of $65,000. The capital invested in the plant is about 
$15,000,000. There are two monster dry docks, one of them the largest on the 
American continent, constructed at a cost of $1,000,000, and capable of accom- 
modating the largest vessel ever constructed. The basin holds 24,000,000 gallons 
and is filled by an electric pumping system, with a capacity of 200,000 gallons a 
minute. The company has also two electrical cranes above two ship ways. 
The yard is supplied with the largest electrical lifting crane in the world, having 
a capacity of 150 tons, and in other respects it is perfectly equipped for its 
large business, which is perhaps twice as much annually as that of any other ship 
yard in the United States. Large numbers of naval and merchant ships are built 
at this yard. The great battleship Virginia was launched in 1904 in the presence 
of 70,000 people. In addition to construction work, the yard is kept busy day 
and night on repair jobs. 

The Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company has recently put in another diy dock, 
being the largest in the world. 

April 2, 1910, marked the 27th anniversary of the birth of the port at this 
place, for it was on that day, twenty-seven years ago, that the British steamship 
Paxe sailed with the first cargo of export goods brought here over the Chesapeake 
and Ohio railroad. From this modest beginning, the commerce of Newport News 
has grown with such rapid strides that today it is one of the leading seaports in 
the United States. Indeed, it would be conservative to say that the increase in 
trade here has been hardly less than a commercial miracle. The duties collected 
annually amount to about $1,200,000. 

Newport News has one of the largest, deepest and safest harbors on the Atlantic 
coast, with depth of water ranging from eight to eleven fathoms and capable of 
accommodating the navies, martial and commercial, of the planet. A signal tower 
nearly 100 feet above sea level warns mariners of approaching storms day and 
night. 

More coal is handled here than any port on the continent, or in the world, except, 
probably, Berry and Corduy, England. 

This is perhaps, with Norfolk, the best coaling station on the continent, and 
its business in this respect has grown to enormous proportions, amounting to 
3,000,000 tons annually — requiring 65,324 cars, which, if strung together, would 
reach a distance of 457 miles. The record of this port for its coal business is 
probably not equalled anywhere in the United States, and it is rapidly increasing 
in volume and importance. 

Reference to the coal business would be decidedly incomplete without particular 
mention of the increase in its foreign coal trade. The total value of goods that pass 
through Newport News to and from foreign countries annually is about $50,000,000 
of which amount about $38,000,000 is exported and $12,000,000 is imported. The 



253 

aggregate duties amount to $3,200,000, which shows a large increase for the past 
two years, surpassing any other port in the United States in this respect. 

In all respects the city continues to grow rapidly. Building operations are active. 
The suburbs are becoming more thickly populated; Northern and Western farmers 
are settling on lands adjacent to the city for trucking purposes, and a large amount 
of outside capital is awaiting investment here. These and many other agencies 
are contributing to the upbuilding of the city. 

Population of city, census of 1910, was 20,205, which is an increase of 15,756 
since census of 1890. This shows a phenomenal increase, and if the city continues 
to grow in population the next five years as it has in the past five, it will boast 
of 40,000 or more inhabitants. 

It has a community of wide-awake and progressive people, which can but prove 
to be an important element in its future progress and advancement. 



NORFOLK. 

Commodore Maury, the noted Geographer and Pathfinder of the Sea, remarks: 
"Naturally, and both in a geographical and military point of view, Norfolk with 
Hampton Roads at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay as its lower harbor, and 
San Francisco inside of the Golden Gate in California occupy — one on the Pacific 
and the other on the Atlantic — the most important maritime, positions that lie 
within the domains of the United States. Each holds the commanding point 
on its sea front; each has the finest harbor on its coast; and each with the most 
convenient ingress and egress for ships, is as safe from wind and wave as shelter 
can make them. Nor is access to either ever interrupted by the frosts of winter. 
In the harbors of each there is room to berth not only all the ships of commerce, 
but the navies of the world also." Norfolk, like the "Sleeping Princess" has 
awakened, thrown herself in the cosmopolitan whirlpool and swept out in the 
resplendent dawn of growth and progress. Even a brief review of her achieve- 
ments within that short time will convince the most casual observer, that the 
Sunrise City of the East is one of the progressive cities in the Union; that she 
embodies the spirit of progress in the highest sense. Norfolk has awakened to 
her wonderful possibilities. Possessing the finest harbor in the world, cradling 
the fleets of the universe, teeming with commerce, the great industrial corporations 
are beginning to appreciate its splendid advantages and are expending vast sums 
in the development of numerous enterprises and this is being constantly aug- 
mented by the addition of new railroads which promise to rival New York. There 
are two principal reasons responsible for this growth, first from its position geo- 
graphically, it is more accessible to the great producing centers, Chicago, St. 
Louis and the West, who find eheaper and more direct transportation through 
this port; second, her waters are never frozen, and offer a safe haven for the sea- 
farer. She has direct communication with the great coalfields of Virginia and 
West Virginia. Norfolk is today the largest coalport in America. From a cli- 
matic standpoint, she is unsurpassed. Tempered by the Ocean Breeze, the 
annual mean temperature ranges August 77.9; January 48.2. Numerous changes 
have taken place in the Sunrise City by the Sea, during the past thirty years 
and one who had not visited the city during that period would not recognize it 
as the place he left. He would find a city that had grown in population from 
21,000 to 81,000. Where once were found antiquated buildings and vacant lots, 
today stand modern fire-proof structures, from seven to twelve stories high. 
She has five first-class hostelries and many smaller ones where accommodations 
can be had, service rendered equal to any in the country. She has a well equipped 
electric car fine with a trackage of over 200 miles. It was just thirty years ago, 
two events took place that made Norfolk famous the world over; one, the cele- 
bration of Yorktown Centennial in which Norfolk took prominent part, and the 
other the arrival in Norfolk of the first car of Pocahontas coal. There is no one 
thing on record that has done as much towards making Norfolk, the Norfolk-of- 
today as opening up of the coal fields to this port, for wherever Pocahontas coal 
is used or spoken of, the name of Norfolk is linked with it. 



254 

The Norfolk and Western railroad, the Southern, Seaboard Air Line, Chesapeake 
and Ohio, The Virginian, and Atlantic Coast Line, all great trunk lines, reach 
out into the far distant industrial and agricultural fields, and pour their immense 
freight into foreign bound ships. 

Other railroads of minor importance, two canals and numerous steamboat 
lines, penetrating the interior waters, and serving coastwise trade, collectively 
make up an aggregate of transportation facilities second only to New York. It 
may be a surprise to some to know that there are fully twenty-six lines of trans- 
portation, by rail and water, at Norfolk. 

The terminals of the great railways are located on one or the other side of the 
Elizabeth River and all connected by a uniting belt line, while the Transatlantic 
and Coast Steamship companies have wharves on both sides of the river. Thus 
the commercial interests of Portsmouth and Berkley are closely linked with 
Norfolk, and frequent ferryboats constantly plying between the three cities, 
constitute a passenger and freight transit over the few hundred yards of inter- 
vening water, almost as rapid as if by land. 

The concentration of railroads at Norfolk will make it the port for a vast 
commerce, and just as the development of the West and middle West have 
built up New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, so the development of the South 
and Southwest will build up Greater Norfolk. 

Norfolk city is the largest shipping point for "truck" or vegetables on the 
Atlantic coast. Railroad trains and steamships of large capacity, making daily 
and nightly trips, are taxed to their utmost — as stated in a leaflet of a reliable 
Norfolk real estate firm — to convey the products of the fields for ten miles around 
Norfolk to the Northern and Western cities, which largely depend in season on 
Norfolk for their supply of "green stuff," the aggregate of which is, in return, 
not less than $7,500,000 annually; and every available hand — man, woman and 
child — is pressed into service to cultivate, gather and ship this large product. 

The conditions of climate and soil in this vicinity, where the usual vigor of 
winter is tempered by the Gulf Stream, are such that trucks are shipped from 
this market every month of the year, as many as four crops being often raised on 
the same ground annually. Large capital is required in producing and handling 
this immense business, and all branches of trade, and every citizen of Norfolk 
share more or less directly or indirectly in the results. 

The Norfolk navy yard, located at Portsmouth, works an average of 2,000 
men in shipbuilding and repairing, and had last year a pay roll of $1,659,214. 
The largest winery in the country is here, the largest creosoting plant and the 
largest oyster packing plant. Over 600,000 bushels of oysters are handled an- 
nually, requiring the services of more than 6,000 persons. This is the second fish 
port in the United States. One tobacco stemmery employs 700 operators. The 
knitting industry employs 1,200 hands. One box factory cuts 150,000 feet of 
lumber daily. This is the fourth cotton port of the country, having exported 
last year 36,400 bales, the annual business amounting to more than $24,000,000. 

It is reasonable to infer that where there is such a volume of business provision 
would be made for the traveling public. This has been most effectively done, 
and no city of its size can boast of better hotels, some of them large and elegant, 
while there are scores of less pretentious ones, and many superior boarding houses, 
capable of meeting all such demands upon the city. It is hardly necessary, in 
referring to a large and progressive city, to notice the electric transit system; 
but it may be stated that it is modern in every particular, and supplies to every 
settlement and seaside resort within nineteen miles, including such popular places 
as Virginia Beach, Ocean View, Cape Henry, Willoughby Spit, and the rapid 
growing site of the recent Jamestown Exposition Company. 

The public schools of Norfolk are widely known for their good management 
and efficiency. The High School is the pride of the city, and enjoys a reputation 
surpassed by none of its class, and there are excellent private schools and acad- 
emies, male and female, of long standing. Perhaps no city in Virginia is so well 
supplied with churches, there being seventy-four in all — forty-seven white and 
twenty-seven colored. Of the white there are thirteen Methodist, eight Presby- 
terian, eight Baptist, six Episcopal, three Jewish, three Catholic, two Christian, 
one Lutheran, one Disciple, one Christadelphian, and one Christian Scientist; 



255 

colored, thirteen Baptist, nine Methodist, two Christian, one Episcopal, one 
Unitarian. 

Four modern hospitals supplement the splendid Marine Hospital of the Govern- 
ment. So great has become the reputation of these resorts for the relief of the 
suffering, that patients from all parts of the country patronize them. 

There are also eight or nine asylums of different kinds. 

The Carnegie Library, but lately finished, fills the full measure of the public's 
desires in that line. 



PETERSBURG. 

Petersburg, situated in the county of Dinwiddie, founded in 1733, and incorpo- 
rated in 1784, was named for Peter Jones, its founder. It is very favorably and 
delightfully situated at the head of navigation on the Appomattox river, twelve 
miles southwest of its confluence with the James at City Point, twenty-two miles 
south from Richmond; eighty-one miles northwest from Norfolk; sixty-three miles 
north from Weldon, N. C, and 138 miles south from Washington City. The city 
proper is in Dinwiddie county, though it has populous suburbs extending into 
two other counties, Blandford in Prince George and Pocahontas in Chesterfield. 

It is an active, thriving place, well supplied with all modern conveniences and 
improvements. The streets are well paved with vitrified brick and sheet asphalt, 
a large amount having been recently expended in this line of improvement. 
The city is lighted by gas and electricity, and owns its own water works, which 
furnish an abundant supply of fine water from springs and rivulets in the neigh- 
borhood, carefully protected by law. 

The commercial bodies are the Chamber of Commerce and Young Men's Business 
Association, the Petersburg Club, the Bycicle Club, and the Appomattox Boat 
Club, the latter being the oldest of its kind in the State, and noted for its hospitality. 

All the religious denominations are represented in Petersburg, and many stately 
and beautiful edifices adorn its streets. The combined membership of the churches 
aggregate over one-half of the city's population. There are several fine libraries, 
which are largely patronized. The Masons, Odd Fellows and Red Men own fine 
properties. 

The educational advantages of the city are of the highest order. The munici- 
pality sets aside $24,000 annually for the use of the School Board. The public 
schools are admirably managed, with abundant accommodations for the entire 
school population. The races, of course, are educated separately. There is a 
high school for the blacks as well as the whites. The colored youth of the State 
of both sexes have the additional advantages of the Virginia Normal and Indus- 
trial Institute, a State institution founded in 1882 and erected at a cost of $150,- 
000, for the higher education of the colored youth of the State, with special ref- 
erence to the training of teachers. This institution has 485 students, State annuit} 7 
$15,000. 

There are eleven private schools and academies of high grade, which prepare 
young men and women for college. One of these, the Southern Female College, 
was founded long anterior to the war, and is one of the best female colleges in 
the South. It has 150 students, an able staff of instructors and thorough course 
of study. Another high grade school is the Petersburg Academy, principals Hall 
and Arrington, the successor to the University School of Captain W. Gordon 
McCabe. St. Joseph's School is conducted by the Sisters of Charity. It has a 
large patronage. The Central State Hospital for colored insane is located in the 
suburbs of the city. 

Petersburg has three very prosperous banks, doing a large business, with stock 
far above par, and paying handsome dividends. The city has excellent telephone 
service and ten miles of street railway, thoroughly equipped and car shed costing 
$30,000. A great deal of attention has been given in recent years to local improve- 
ments. Numerous new buildings have been erected, and a marked change has been 
wrought in the appearance of the city. It has two beautiful parks, abundantly 
supplied with pure water, and adorned with lakes, flowers, and beautiful shade 



257 

trees. The National Government has two large cemeteries near Petersburg, 
where rest the remains of some 12,000 or 15,000 soldiers of the Union Army 
who fell around the city. One of these is in this county and the other at City 
Point. In Blandford cemetery, in this city, are gathered the remains of about 
15,000 Confederate soldiers, whose graves are tenderly cared for by the Ladies' 
Memorial Association. 

Petersburg is not only an active business place, but a beautiful and delightful 
residential city. On many streets are stately mansions that would attract atten- 
tion anywhere. There are no gambling dens; Sunday law is strictly enforced, 
and it enjoys the reputation of being a quiet and orderly community. Though 
the negroes constitute about one-half of the population, they are as a class 
industrious, peaceable and steadily employed, and many of them have 
accumulated property. 

The transportation facilities of Petersburg are extensive, furnishing communi- 
cation by rail and water with all parts of the country. It is especially important as 
a railroad center, being the junction point of three great trunk lines railroads — 
the Seaboard Air Line railway, the Atlantic Coast Line, and the Norfolk and 
Western. 

The Seaboard Air Line has through service from New York to Tampa and Atlanta 
opening up a system embracing 3,000 miles of track. The Atlantic Coast Line 
passes along the border of the county for ten miles, and is a north and south line 
connecting the great Pennsylvania system of the north with the Plant system of 
the south, forming a through route to Florida. This road has large depot buildings 
and machine shops in the city. The Norfolk and Western passes through the 
northern portion of the county for a distance of thirty miles, and is an east and 
west line, beginning at Norfolk, passing through Petersburg, Southside, Southwest 
Virginia and West Virginia to Columbus, Ohio. It has handsome depot buildings 
and large machine shops in the city, and a branch road to City Point, on the 
James. 

In addition to these transportation facilities, Petersburg has a profitable com- 
merce by navigation, by canal and river, for eighty miles west of the city, and by 
the Appomattox and James rivers eastward to the sea. The tonnage of this port 
is 200,000 tons annually, and value of freight $1,500,000. Petersburg offers very 
superior advantages for productive industries in its excellent facilities for trans- 
portation, cheap and desirable sites, and especially in the extraordinary resources 
of its available water power — not one-half of which is utilized. This power is 
furnished by the Appomattox river and by canals within and without the city 
for a distance of many miles. 

Two large granite quarries are operated near the city, and the product is being 
used by the Government in the erection of sea walls; it is also largely in demand 
for street paving, building purposes, and for monuments and tombs. 

Petersburg has an extensive lumber business, owing to the large quantities of 
fine timber in this and the adjacent counties of Brunswick and Mecklenburg. 

Petersburg is a notable manufacturing center. Statistics of the city's business 
interests and progress give the number of manufacturing establishments as 290; 
persons employed 6,000; wages paid annually $1,750,000; value of material used 
$5,500,000; product $11,000,000, and indications of constant and substantial 
increase from year to year. The most important lines of manufacturing are those 
of tobacco, cotton and peanuts, with many others following close in point of mag- 
nitude and value. Petersburg is one of the oldest tobacco markets in the State, 
beginning its histoiy as such in the colonial days. The section contiguous, em- 
bracing the counties of Dinwiddie, Brunswick, Amelia, Lunenburg, Prince Edward, 
Charlotte, Mecklenburg, etc., is famous for the quality and flavor of its tobacco, 
and for export purposes it is very superior. It has the largest export tobacco 
manufactories in the United States, producing 8,000,000 pounds (valued at $1,700,- 
000) of the total 10,000,000 pounds of plug tobacco exported from the United 
States. There are also several large factories devoted exclusively to the manu- 
facture of tobacco for the domestic trade. The capacity of the warehouses of the 
city is about 12,000 hogsheads, and the total number of persons employed in all 
branches of the tobacco trade is about 3,500, whose wages aggregate $550,000. 

The cotton manufacturing business is also one of the most important industries 



258 

of the city. There are located here five large cotton factories in active operation, 
running on full time, and using the greater part of the 10,000 bales received in 
the city, a large portion of which is of Virginia growth, received from the adjacent 
counties. Osnaburgs, sheetings, duck and yarns are the principal varieties of 
goods manufactured, much of which is exported to China, Central America and 
other points. 

The capital employed in these mills is about $600,000; hands employed, 750; 
number of spindles, 30,000; looms, 590; manufacturing annually 11,000,000 yards 
of cloth and 100,000 pounds yarn and sewing thread. The annual value of the 
product exceeds $700,000. 

Petersburg also claims pre-eminence in the peanut trade of the country, and 
dominates to a considerable extent the markets in this commodity. The peanut 
fields begin almost at the city line, stretching away through the rich belt of 
counties to the east, and south down through the Carolinas. Estimates place 
the Virginia crop at 650,000 sacks of four bushels each. 

A large quantity of these nuts are handled in Petersburg, where there are five 
large factories in which the uncleaned nuts are cleaned, assorted, polished and 
sometimes shelled for the markets of the country. The capital invested in these 
plants is about $100,000; hands employed, 300; annual wages paid, $60,000; 
annual output, 1,870,000 bushels; value of output, $2,500,000, and independent 
commission dealings, $300,000. 

Another extensive industry is the manufacture of trunks and valises. Four 
immense factories are engaged in this business, one of them the largest in the 
world, representing alone an investment of over $100,000, and giving employment 
to 300 or 400 hands, consuming 2,000,000 feet of lumber annually, turning out 
150,000 trunks, and 12,000 dozen hand bags and valises and covers, and sending 
their products to nearly every city and town in the Union, and to Central America, 
and West Indies. The daily output of all these factories is 1,200 trunks and 
1,500 traveling bags. Petersburg is well supplied with corn meal and flour 
mills, whose output is widely distributed through Virginia and the Carolinas. 
Of these there are four corn mills, with an output of 1,000,000 bushels of 
meal; and one flour mill, producing 40,000 barrels of flour annually. 

Silk mills of large capacity and output is another industry of importance, em- 
ploying about 500 hands. The bark, sumac and extract works located here give 
employment to hundreds of people in town and county, and have a product of 
five or six thousand tons of ground bark, and 6,000,000 pounds of ground sumac 
leaves. The manufacture of fruit baskets and crates is a large enterprise, in 
which are utilized 1,000 cords of poplar and gum logs, and over 1,000,000 feet 
of sawed lumber annually. 

Among the new industries in the city is a ship yard, not only building vessels, 
but making the engines, boilers, etc. There are four foundries and machine shops 
running on full time, and turning out the highest grade of work. 

It will be a surprise to many to learn that in Petersburg was made much of the 
shot and shell used in the Spanish War, including some of the largest and most 
destructive projectiles. There are also extensive fireworks factories doing a 
very large business. The lumber shipped, aggregating 50,000,000 feet per year, 
is valued at $400,000. There are four planing mills in the city, doing a business 
of about $250,000, one barrel-head factory, and two large ice factories, with a 
daily capacity of forty tons. 

Many other manufacturing enterprises of less magnitude might be cited. Prom- 
inent among these are a fertilizer factory, which unloads from 100 to 150 vessels 
per year, its capacity being 20,000 tons; a pants factory, which turns out 3,000 
pairs a week; a hosiery factory; and a number of others for the manufacture 
of clothing, bags, hats, soap, candles, candy, snuff, canned goods, cigars, harness, 
paper boxes and wagons. The estimate of the city's jobbing business, combined 
with such retailings as cannot be separated from it, is about the equivalent of 
its manufactures, $11,000,000— both together, $22,000,000— to which add $5,- 
000,000 for real estate, banking, railroad and shipping and other miscellaneous 
lines, and sums up $27,000,000. The principal jobbing lines are groceries and 
provisions, dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, this line alone amounting to 
more than $1,500,000. 



259 

Its building improvements will reach $300,000 a year, such investments real- 
izing from eight to ten per cent., and the average annual increase in all branches 
of trade and manufacture in the city for the past few years has been fully twenty 
per cent., making it necessary with the jobbing houses to materially increase 
their traveling force. The business of the three banks has also kept pace with 
the growing business of the city, showing a general increase of twenty per cent, 
over previous years. The bonded debt of the city is $1,261,000, which was in- 
curred in aid of public improvements, especially of railroads. The taxable 
values of the city, real and personal, are about $10,000,000, and the rate of tax- 
ation $1.60 per $100 of value for the city, and forty cents for the State. The 
annual income of the city from all sources is about $225,000, and the annual 
regular expenditure about $213,000. 

Rich as Petersburg is in other respects, it is no less so in historical interest. 
Splendid old colonial sites, made historic as the homes of patriots in the dark 
days preceding and following the birth of the nation, dot the surrounding country. 
To come nearer to the present, is the memory of the long and weary siege of 1864-5, 
through which the devoted city passed; every day and every night, shot and 
shell from the Federal guns sweeping the town almost from end to end — a large 
portion of the city practically deserted, and danger lurking on every hand, with 
houses ruined, property destroyed and starvation almost in sight; but notwith- 
standing it all, the people were brave and patient and ready to sacrifice everything 
for the sake of honor and their beloved South. The end came in 1865, and found 
the trade of the city practically destroyed, capital gone, and the people almost 
in poverty. But with that brave, hopeful and energetic spirit characteristic 
of them, she began to build anew, and very soon the Cockade City stood forth, 
herself again, and is today making great strides in the race of progress. 

Population of city, census of 1910, 24,127. 



PORTSMOUTH. 

Portsmouth is located in Norfolk county, just across the river from Norfolk 
city. 

The new Portsmouth of today is the vantage ground for industrial pursuits, 
being the results of the many advantages possessed by this section. From a rail 
and water standpoint it is unexcelled for manufacturing purposes in nearly every 
line, due in a large measure to- the inception and construction of the Portsmouth 
Belt Line railroad, an iron link of five miles connecting nine great radiating rail 
systems, besides innumerable subsidiary lines to points in the sounds of North 
Carolina and estuaries of the Chesapeake bay, James, York and Nansemond 
rivers. These lines connect daily, tri-weekley and weekly with the leading markets 
of the country. The great rail systems, centering here, jointly own the Portsmouth 
Belt Line, and the especially attractive advantage to the industries seeking lo- 
cations, is the fact that Portsmouth rates are applied to all carload freights shipped 
to and from industries reached by its tracks. 

Portsmouth is also particularly favored from the standpoint of water freights, 
enjoying as it does low rates from the West, South and Southwest. 

Steam coal from the coal fields is abundant, reaching the city direct from the 
mines via the Norfolk and Western and Chesapeake and Ohio railways. Poca- 
hontas coal, considered the best for steaming purposes, sells for $2.65 per net ton, 
at times as low as $2.35 per gross ton, while great quantities of George's Creek 
coal, preferred by some, are also used. The manufacturing institutions are par- 
ticularly blessed by being in such close proximity to two of the country's greatest 
coal distributing depots — the world famous Pocahontas coal piers and Chesa- 
peake and Ohio coal piers. 

Skilled labor has been sufficient to meet all requirements thus far, but the in- 
troduction of new industries opens up new fields of employment, and experience 
teaches that labor will seek the opportunity to work where all living conditions 
are favorable to the wage earner. The markets are abundantly supplied with 
vegetables, fruits, meats, fish and oysters, and the prices are so reasonable as to 
make the cost of living much cheaper than in less favored sections. It is said of 



260 



the city "a man is poor indeed who wants for a sufficiency of good nutritious 
food at any season of the year," while rentals are very moderate, ranging from 
$5.00 to $25.00 per month, according to location of residence. 

The public free school system of this city is unsurpassed, being modern and 
up-to-date, with a large corps of experienced teachers, while the opportunities 
for religious training are equal to the best. There are forty-nine churches of 
different denominations. 

The garden spot of the country is at the very doors of the city, and from the 
products of these lands, many fortunes have been made, raising early vegetables, 
berries and fruits, which are shipped in large quantities to New York, Boston, 
Baltimore, Washington and the Western cities; this section having the advantage 
of at least two weeks in point of early shipments over the raisers of similar garden 
products in Maryland and Delaware. It is estimated that the returns from this 
source for this part of the State will average $7,000,000 annually. The famous 
oyster beds of this section of the country are located in this vicinity, from whence 
they are shipped to all points of the compass in great quantities and form no 




UNLOADING POTATOES, CANTALOUPES AND TOMATOES FOR NORTHERN SHLPMENT 
BY OLD DOMINION STEAMSHIP COMPANY. 



small item of revenue. Hundreds are employed in this calling, and thousands 
of dollars are paid out annually to those engaged in catching, shucking and ship- 
ping them. 

One of the most infallible straws that show which way the wind of commerce 
blows is reflected in the prosperity of the banks. There has been a steady increase 
in the growth of deposits and a commensurate increase in the earnings and surplus 
of these institutions during the past year, which is the best indication of the 
prosperity of their customers. Two new banks have been established in the past 
two years. The mean annual temperature of the city is 59.5; the mean for 
spring being 65.6; summer, 75.6; autumn, 51.6; and winter, 43.3. It is stated 
that Venice has a mean annual temperature of 56.7. The Gulf Stream runs nearer 
the shore off Cape Henry than at any other point on the Atlantic coast. 

The population of the city has increased in the past eight years nearly sixty 
per cent., which will be fuly established by the next United States census, while 
as an industrial center, the increase has been sixty-five per cent, for the same 
period. Present population, 1910, 33,190. 



261 



RADFORD. 



Radford offers exceptional advantages for manufacturing sites, because of 
its position on the New river, with abundant low-priced power. It has a large 
pipe works, blast furnace, veneer plant, brick yards, four hotels, three banks, 
two postoffices, wholesale grocery, carriage manufactory, ice plant and cold 
storage, eleven churches, two large new school buildings, including high school, 
and has fine fair grounds, with one of the best tracks on the Southern circuits, 
two flouring mills, two livery stables, newspaper and job office, electric light and 
power plants, running water, trolley line, two railway stations and freight yards. 
Population 4,202. 



RICHMOND. 



Richmond, regarded as the gateway between the North and South and to a large 
extent between the West and Middle Atlantic seaboard, has forged ahead as few 
cities of its class have done within the past decade. In practically every line of 
business it has made almost phenomenal progress and still greater progress seems 
assured for the future. 

The growth and activity of the new Richmond is a revelation to one acquainted 
only with the old city. The time was, and not so long ago, when Richmond 
apparently had reached her growth and had settled down in her conservatism 
and self-complacency to the enjoyment of such limited progress and prosperity 
as she had been able to achieve. A new spirit, however, seemed suddenly to seize 
the citizens of Richmond, and under its inspiration a new Richmond has come to 
be. The volume of our trade is daily increasing, our population is growing by 
leaps and bounds, our territory is finding constant expansion by the development 
and improvement of the outlying districts, and in the history of the city there has 
never been such an era of great building enterprises and general public improve- 
ments. No one can doubt, who observes the spirit and signs of progress on every 
side, that Richmond is destined to become one of the greatest cities of the nation. 

Six railway systems bring it into close, touch with the country to the North, 
South and West and within its borders are nearly 130,000 people, typical of the 
best energy of the new South. 

Financial institutions of Richmond whose operation is a sure reflex of other 
business transactions, have increased to such an extent within the last ten years 
as to afford ample confirmation of Richmond's growth and progress. For 
instance, the bank clearances in 1900 totaled $165,901,087, compared with $374,- 
794,873 for 1910. 

The following figures for deposits and assets are also of interest: 

1890 1897 1911 

Deposits $ 8,749,000 $ 9,782,000 $41,284,000 

Assets $13,597,000 $16,888,000 $57,606,000 

Deposits in the Richmond banks are more than one-fourth of the deposits in 
all the banks of the State. Bank loans in Richmond for the past year aggregated 
$38,495,915 as against $13,981,000 for the corresponding year a decade ago. 

CAPITAL AND SURPLUS. 

The banking capital and surplus of Richmond is now placed at $11,817,850. 
Ten years ago, it was $5,793,907, the increase during this period being more than 
100 per cent. 

Ten years ago, Richmond had 1,245 manufacturing plants and industries. 
In 1908, the number had increased to 1,719 and in 1909 it was 1,753. Today 
the number is placed at 1,782. 

Capital invested in Richmond's manufacturing plants a decade ago was $17,332,- 
332, compared with $35,173,510 at the present date. Value of manufactured 
products at the close of 1900 was placed at $41,366,923. At the close of 1910 
it was estimated at $90,281,408, or an increase of 102 per cent. 



262 

Sales in the jobbing trade during 1900 aggregated $35,377,295 as against $71,- 
490,718 for 1910. Capital in the jobbing business ten years ago was $8,170,500. 
Today it is placed at $13,225,237. 

In population, Richmond has made an especially fine showing during the past 
decade. Uncle Sam's census in 1910 placed the number of souls in Richmond 
at 127,628, not including 28,000 adjacent to the corporate limits. In 1900 the 
population was placed at only 85,050. In 1880, the city had 63,000 population, 
according to the federal census. 

Another very striking indication of the city's growth is the increase in building 
operations for 1910 over the corresponding year ten years ago. In 1910, these 
operations totaled $4,012,822 compared with $958,947 for 1900 or an increase of 
302 per cent. 

REALTY VALUATIONS INCREASE. 

Still other evidence of Richmond's progress is found in the assessed valuation 
of its realty. At the close of 1900, realty property in Richmond was valued at 
$66,720,949. At the close of 1910, the valuation jumped to $137,516,429, or an 
increase of 106 per cent. The present valuation on real estate not including that 
exempt from taxation is placed at $107,787,433, while the personal property is 
valued at $55,830,568, making a total of $163,618,001 in property that is taxable 
by the city of Richmond. 

The tax rate for all purposes, based upon 75 per cent, of the market value of 
real estate, tax rate is $1.40 for the city and 35 cents for the State on each $100 
of values. 

Richmond property in the exempted list is as follows : 

United States Government, Post Office Site, etc $ 445,000.00 

State of Virginia, State Capitol Building and Grounds, etc 2,098,000.00 

City of Richmond, including Gas and Water Works and Sewers.. . 16,108,870.00 

Church property 3,239,040. 00 

Charitable Institutions 593,700. 00 

County of Henrico, Court House and Jail 100,000. 00 

Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad account of 

State's Interest in same 1,025,000.00 

Educational Institutions, other than Public Schools 1,178,000.00 

Total exempted $24,787,610.00 

MUNICIPAL ASSETS. 

Some of Richmond's municipal assets are as follows : 

Public Schools — 31 buildings; 437 principals and teachers; 17,305 scholars 
enrolled; New High School recently occupied costing $575,506.00; value of build- 
ings, $1,305,466.00. 

Fire Department — 12 modern engines; 4 hook and ladder trucks; 10 com- 
bination chemical engines and hose wagons; 3 hose wagons; 180 officers and men: 
2 store houses. Fire Alarm system — 209 Gamewell boxes; 128 miles wire on 
poles; 355 miles wire in conduits. Average annual fire losses for past twenty- 
five years $190,537.00 a year. 

Police Department — 133 officers and men; 106 patrol boxes; 2 auto patrol 
wagons; 3 police stations; horse and bicycle mounted and foot patrolmen. 

Parks — 641.2 acres (city); 10 acres (State); mostly within city limits. 

Streets — 210 miles, well paved, in good order and clean. 107 miles sewers 
(approx.). 

Water Works — Daily pumping capacity 32,000,000 gallons; mains, 137.5 
miles; fire hydrants, 1,100; water clear and pure. Minimum charge, family use, 
$8.00 per annum; Settling Basin's capacity 15 day's supply. 

Gas Works — Coal and water combined; mains, 109.4 miles; output 1910, 
528,200,600 cubic feet; price 90 cents per "M" cubic feet. 

Electric Lighting and Power Plant — Furnishing lights for streets, parks 
and public buildings, and power for municipal utilities. 

The value of these non-taxable assets is placed at $16,624,654.30. 



263 

Richmond carries no floating debt. All accounts are closed at the end of each 
fiscal year with the exception of outstanding contracts which are unfinished at 
the close of the year. Bonds outstanding amount to $11,231,158.50 and of this 
sum $9,207,332.50 is held by the public and $2,023,825 by the commissioners of 
the sinking rund. 

Under the laws of the State of Virginia, a new assessment of realty is made every 
five years in Richmond, the last assessment being completed November 1, 1910. 
This is the basis of taxation for the next five years, except where improvements 
are added. In such cases, the assessment is increased for the value of improve- 
ments. 

ASSESSMENTS AND TAXES. 

Taxable values and estimated income for 1911 are tabulated as follows: 

Real Estate Personal 

Assessment by State Corporation Commission $ 3,381,147.00 $13,038,961.00 

Marshall Ward 4,466,812.00 624,453.00 

Jefferson Ward 6,218,972.00 4,606,363.00 

Madison Ward 20,081,096.00 22,152,205.00 

Monroe Ward 10,064,907.00 3,309,917.00 

Clay Ward 11,359,401.00 1,866,166.00 

Lee Ward 13,895,173.00 4,039,755.00 

Henry Ward 8,988,391.00 3,075,910.00 

Washington Ward 3,229,962.00 1,349,570.00 

Fiduciary 1,767,268.00 



Total $81,685,861.00 $55,830,568.00 



Aggregate $137,516,429.00 

On $137,516,429 at $1.40 on $100 values for city purposes $1,925,230.00 

On culverts, vaults, and areas encroaching on streets 56,000.00 

On poles at 50 cents each 15,000.00 

On business licenses 150,000.00 

Franchise 68,000.00 

Water rents 140,000.00 

Gas rents 400,000.00 

Receipts from other sources 115,000.00 



Total estimated receipts for 1911 $2,969,230.00 

EVIDENCE OF GROWTH. 

Richmond's commercial and industrial growth is further shown by the following 
comparative figures: 

1900 1910 Per 

cent 

increase 

Telephones 1,934 11,594 494 

Street railways miles 75 105 40 

Street railways passengers carried 18,272,880 40,649,989 122 

Post-office receipts $271,109 $657,249 142 

Other indications of the progress and prosperity of the city might be given, 
were it necessary to elaborate on its many resources. 

The steadily increasing attention now being given to the development of the- 
varied resources of Virginia promises to be an important factor in the future 
commercial growth of Richmond. Many of these resources are only in the early 
stages of development and few, if any, are being fully utilized. The James River 
Valley, the Northern Neck, the Eastern Shore, the Valley of Virginia, all abound 
in farm lands producing cereals, vegetables and fruits nowhere excelled in variety 
and quality. In many sections, its grasses afford the finest pasturage for cattle, 
horse and sheep raising. Its forests, while furnishing great quantities of mercan- 
tile timber, also contain many valuable species of hard wood trees. Its mineral 
resources in iron ore, lead, zinc, coal, pyrites, copper and other valuable ores and 
its quarries of slate, marble, granite, limestone, etc., seem practicably inexhausti- 
ble, the workings in most cases being hardly more than sufficient to disclose their 
quality and extent. 

The elevation of Richmond above the sea level is, in its principal residential 



265 

sections, about 200 feet, and she sits, not like old Rome on her seven hills, but on 
a dozen of them, rising from the north bank of the James river, ninety miles from 
the seacoast, affording sites for scores of fine and costly monuments and heroic 
figures of her and Virginia's illustrious statesmen and jurists, and famous soldiers, 
which proclaim in enduring bronze and marble her noble history and the admira- 
tion and liberality of her people. Richmond is pre-eminently the monument city 
of the South and will rank with any in the North. It was founded by Colonel 
William Byrd in 1737. 



ROANOKE. 



The city of Roanoke, situated on the great through line of the Norfolk and 
Western railroad, one hundred and ninety miles by rail west from Richmond, is 
the chief city of Southwest Virginia. It is in the county of Roanoke, 907 feet above 
sea level, and being at the head of the Valley of Virginia, has a good claim to 
the gateway and the leading city of both these great natural divisions of Virginia. 
It is convenient by rail to both sections, the main fine of the Norfolk and Western 
running through the southwest 151 miles to Bristol, Va., and north 239 miles 
through the valley to the Potomac, thus reaching all the cities and larger towns 
of both, with which it maintains large and profitable business relations. The 
Norfolk and Western also places the city in direct communication with Norfolk, 
257 miles east, while another branch of the same trunk fine carries Roanoke's 
business south through the State to Winston-Salem, N. C, and southern points. 
The new Virginian railroad recently built from Deepwater, W. Va., to Norfolk, 
passes through Roanoke, and furnishes the "Magic City," as it is called, another 
great railroad from Chesapeake bay to the Ohio river. It is a modern, up-to-date, 
well-paved, well-watered city, possessing all the conveniences to be furnished by 
electricity and water power. 

Its twenty-seven churches embrace every leading religious denomination, and 
have handsome and commodious houses of worship. There are also handsome 
city and railroad Young Men's Christian Association buildings, an orphan asylum, 
and a home for the sick. The educational advantages of Roanoke (in character 
and extent) are not surpassed by any other town of its size in the State, attracting 
large patronage from other sections. Besides its splendid public school system, 
supplied with six handsome and commodious school buildings and equipped with 
every modern appliance, there is the Virginia College, a nourishing female institu- 
tion; the Business College and other schools of a private character. The new Park 
Street School, which has been erected within the past two years, affords facilities 
for about five hundred pupils. This school was erected at a cost of $35,000. 

The enterprise, culture, educational and social advantages of Roanoke render 
it a most desirable and attractive residential town; and as a commercial metropolis, 
it ranks with the best of the inland towns of the State. Roanoke has many 
extensive and valuable industries, the most important of which are the Norfolk 
and Western machine shops, for the manufacture and repair of rolling stock, 
the largest and finest locomotives and passenger coaches. These shops now employ 
2,500 men, an extensive addition being built which will increase the working force 
to at least 3,800. The total number of men now employed in the Roanoke shops 
of the Norfolk and Western Railway Company, the extensive general offices and 
yards, including the trainmen and enginemen who have their homes in this city, 
is, according to the Secretary of the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce, about 4,700, 
and the aggregate amount of money paid to the employees monthly is $256,000. 

There are also employed by other industries in the city fully 2,000 men, with 
an average monthly pay roll of over $100,000 more. These figures do not include 
the employees of the various wholesale and retail mercantile houses nor the large 
force engaged now in construction of various kinds. It is estimated that the total 
amount paid monthly to employees and workmen of all descriptions is in excess 
of $400,000. m&&* &* fv* * 

Among the principal industries of the city which attract the attention of the 
interested visitor are the Stone Printing and Manufacturing Company, one of 



266 

the largest plants of the kind in the South; Hite Medicine Company; West End 
Furnace; American Iron Company, a Pennsylvania corporation; Roanoke Eleva- 
tor and Milling Company, capacity 325 barrels of flour per day; twin furnaces 
of the Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company; Roanoke Cotton Mill; Virginia 
Brewing Company and Cold Storage Plant; Blue Ridge Overalls Company; plan- 
ing mills; knitting mill; sash, door and blind factories; Exchange Lumber Com- 
pany; Virginia Lumber Manufacturing Company; Hammond Printing Works; 
fertilizer factory; barrel and stave factory; Rockhill Foundry and Machine Shops; 
Roanoke Boiler and Sheet Iron Repair Shop; candy factory, and one of the largest 
manufacturers and shippers of marble and granite monuments in the South; also 
the Roanoke Clay Manufacturing Company near the city; the Randolph-Market 
Company; Southern Chemical Fertilizer Company, and Virginia Bridge and Iron 
Company, the largest of the kind in the South. 

The Department of Commerce and Labor at Washington reports that in 1900 
Roanoke had thirty-eight establishments, employing a capital of $1,915,647. 
She had, in 1905, fifty-four establishments, employing a capital of $2,656,626. 
Wage earners had increased twenty-seven per cent., from 2,431 to 3,089, and wages 
thirty-seven per cent., from $1,106,948 to $1,525,963. The large, almost palatial 
wholesale and retail stores and other handsome business houses, and the numerous 
handsome banks and other public buildings, to say nothing of many beautiful 
private residences, cannot be specified in a work of this character. They are 
equal in style and appearance to those of our larger cities, and the commodious, 
well-appointed post-office shows yearly a large increase of business. The hotel 
accommodations are exceptional. There are five comfortable and well-equipped 
hotels, some of them luxurious in their appointments, which invite much travel 
and many large conventions and religious gatherings. 

The electric street car system is very complete and reaches beyond the corporate 
limits, to Salem, six miles, and to Vinton, two miles. Five million gallons daily 
of sparkling water gush from a single spring at the foot of Mill mountain, and are 
distributed all over the city. Sewerage is good, the air is pure, the climate as 
healthful as an altitude of 1,000 feet among the Blue Ridge mountains would be 
expected to furnish, while a very fertile adjacent country supplies an abundance 
of farm and dairy products, fruits, fowls and vegetables. 

With three such daily papers as the Times, Evening World, and Evening News, 
and a live Chamber of Commerce to put Roanoke's advantages before the public 
and keep them there; and with its finances managed and fostered by six excellent 
banks, with combined resources of $7,297,414.43 and net surplus of $814,939.08, 
it is not surprising that the city chartered in 1884 with a population of five thou- 
sand has forged constantly ahead. 

In 1906 the immense dam constructed by the Roanoke Water Power Company 
on the Roanoke river, about four miles east of this city, was completed. The height 
of the dam is forty-eight feet at the gates, giving a fall of water of sixty-four 
feet at the power house, developing about 3,000 horse power. This plant furnishes 
light and power for the large manufacturing interests and private residences of 
the city. 

The census of 1910 gave Roanoke a population of 34,870. 

The building operations for the past six years show that 2,299 dwellings and 
business houses have been erected at an approximate cost of $7,000,000, not taking 
into consideration any expenditures on account of additions. This continued 
activity in building has not been occasioned through real estate speculation, 
but is the result of the growth of the city's manufacturing interests and general 
commercial development. 

Roanoke has an efficient fire department, supplemented by a corps of well- 
trained volunteers. The equipment is ample and first class in every way. 

Over $600,000 has been expended during the past four years for municipal 
improvements, consisting of streets, sewers and erection of additional school 
buildings. The assessed valuation of real and personal property in January, 
1906, amounted to $17,892,000, and in January, 1909, these figures had reached 
$24,000,000. 



267 



STAUNTON. 



The city of Staunton, the county seat of Augusta, which, according to the 
census of 1900, is the largest county in area in Virginia, is the leading city of the 
Shenandoah valley, being the only city of the first-class in this great valley, having 
been advanced to that dignity by the legislature of 1906, as the local census taken 
in 1905 showed a population of 11,330. 

Being one of the oldest cities of the commonwealth, incorporated in 1748, by 
the General Assembly of Virginia, it has an interesting chapter of its history 
connected with the Revolutionary War. On June 4, 1781, the Legislature of 
Virginia, which had been driven out of Richmond in January, by the traitor, 
Benedict Arnold, took refuge in Charlottesville, and, on the approach of Col. 
Tarleton, of the Royalist troops, adjourned to meet in Staunton, June 7th. It 
met on that date in the Episcopal Church, and subsequently elected a governor, 
Thomas Nelson, Jr., and a delegation to Congress, headed by James Madison. 
Her history in connection also with the Mexican war, whose veterans were among 
the last and most gallant survivors, the war of 1812, that of the war between the 
States and the Spanish war, has been most honorable, in all of which conflicts 
her sons, to an unusual number, fell gloriously on the field of battle, fighting for 
their native State, or survived, beloved and honored. 

The city was named in honor of Lady Staunton, the wife of Governor Gooch, 
and is beautifully situated among the hills of "West Augusta," made historic 
by the boast of Washington that there, if necessary, he would make his last stand 
against the armies of King George. 

As an evidence of the willingness of the citizens to co-operate in an aggressive 
movement for the well-being of the city, is the fact that Staunton is the first place 
to appoint a business manager, who acting under the control and management 
of the City Council, and within the requirements of the State Constitution,, will 
practically be the manager of the city, and devote his entire time to the develop- 
ment of the city's best interests. The outcome, which promises the most gratifying 
success, will be watched with much interest by the other cities of the common- 
wealth. 

It has long been the seat of two great Virginia public institutions, the Western 
State Hospital for the Insane, with its twelve hundred patients and attendants, 
and the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, having two hundred and seventy 
pupils, teachers and employees. It is also pre-eminently an educational center, 
its reputation in that regard being national, based upon the successful establish- 
ment within her midst of four large schools, two male and two female, which draw 
their patronage from well-nigh every State in the Union — the Mary Baldwin 
Female Seminary, Virginia Female Institute, Staunton Male Academy and Duns- 
more Business College, with a total of about one thousand students. The build- 
ings of each of these institutions are capacious and handsome, and their principals 
and faculty are men and women of learning and ability. Besides these the public 
schools are furnished with two large and modern buildings, for white and colored 
separately, and are well equipped and conducted, affording instruction for one 
thousand or more of the city's youth; also there in no lack of good private schools 
for both sexes. 

The number of churches is unusually large, nineteen in all, including three chapels 
the auditorium and five colored churches, with a total membership of over six 
thousand, about one-half of the people being church members, white and colored, 
while five of the church edifices are new buildings, and all of them, with one or 
two exceptions, are very handsome. The Young Men's Christian Association 
owns a pretty and expensive building, which is perfectly equipped and well patron- 
ized, with a large and helpful Ladies' Auxiliary. The new King's Daughters 
Hospital is a humane institution invaluable to the city and county. Staunton 
is notably a church-going people and a moral and cultivated community. 

Staunton is justly proud of her banking facilities. There are four banks, having 
capital, surplus and profits, which on the 14th day of May, 1908, amounted to 
$752,766.65, with deposits of $2,345,160.40, and resources of $3,378,927.05. These 
figures speak volumes for the soundness of local business conditions; and a fact 
that should not be overlooked is that during the recent panic the banks of Staunton 



268 

discounted all good paper offered by their depositors, and never suspended pay- 
ment of currency on any checks presented. It is needless to say more than this 
to any thinking man. 

The banks are the Augusta National, Farmers and Merchants, and Staunton 
National. The latest and best improvement in Staunton is the new Chesapeake 
and Ohio depot, just completed, at a cost of some $60,000. It is 125 feet long 
by forty feet wide, of white pressed brick, heated with steam, and lighted with 
both gas and electricity. There is a covered train shed, curved with the track, 
650 feet long, and enclosed by a six foot iron fence. It is stated, on railroad 
authority, that more tickets are sold at Staunton than at any point on the road 
between Richmond and Cincinnati. Another noted improvement in the city is 
the Augusta county building, recently completed, opposite the new and hand- 
some courthouse. It is a pretty three-story brick, and cost twenty-two thousand 
dollars. 

Since the completion of two large new hotels this year, near the depot, Staunton 
is well supplied with accommodations for the traveling public, having six good 
• hotels and several fashionable boarding houses, all of which are necessary to accom- 
modate the large and increasing demand of summer visitors, who divide their 
time, in the vacation season, between this place and the nearby or convenient 
mineral springs from the Stribling and Mount Elliott springs, in the city, to the 
famous White Sulphur, ninety-six miles distant. Of these there are eight or ten 
widely known mountain resorts within three hours of Staunton, which itself has an 
altitude of 1,500 feet, and is crowded with summer visitors every season. There 
are five live newspapers of which two — a morning and evening — are dailies, besides 
three published at the institutions of the city. 

Although Staunton has special reputation as an educational and society city, 
there are a number of flourishing manufactories, the chief of which may be named 
as Putnam's Organ Factory; Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company; Bell's Barrel 
Factory; Stockton & Bros.' Iron Works; Hardwood Lumber Company; Reinhart 
and Swartzell's Foundry; Hardy's Carriage Factory; Partlow's Wagon Works; 
Larner & Smith's; Palmer Building Blocks; Glenn and Crowford's Ice Factory; 
Clem Brothers' Ice Factory and an overall factory, and the large White Star 
Roller Mills — two plants — making it a fine wheat and flour market. 

Staunton is located on the great Valley pike, one of the finest macadamized 
roads in the State. The Parkersburg pike, the old stage line leading from Staunton 
west, into the fertile valleys of Highland and into West Virginia, is an excellent 
mountain road and another valuable feeder to Staunton trade, which is dispro- 
portionately large for its population, on account of the thousands of non-pro- 
ducers in the School and State institutions there, who must be clothed and fed 
while they do not compete with labor. Hence there are an unusual number of 
dry goods, fine shoes, clothing, jewelry, drug, grocery and book stores for a city 
of its size, and an air of business activity is the normal condition of its thorough- 
fares, which lead into a rich adjacent farming country. The hills and shaded 
streets furnish pretty sites for handsome residences, of which there are not a few, 
many of them recently built, and while proud of her historic past, the people of 
the "Queen City" of the Valley are actively alive to her present, and bravely 
planning for a still more prosperous future. 



WILLIAMSBURG. 

The city of Williamsburg, like many of the old towns of Virginia, has of recent 
years, "come out of the wilderness," and come out faster than most of them. 
The oldest town of the oldest State in the Union, its history is linked with the 
history of the country, and while the past is interesting, the present is profitable 
reading. It is located on a ridge midway between the James and York rivers, 
known in colonial times as the Middle Plantation. The acts passed for its settle- 
ment were in 1632 and 1633. In 1644, upon the petition of the inhabitants of 
Middle plantation Parish and Harris Parish, the two were incorporated into 
Middletown Parish. 



269 

After the State House at Jamestown was burned, an act directing the building 
of the capitol and city of Williamsburg was passed in 1699, and the seat of govern- 
ment removed from Jamestown to Williamsburg, and the General Assembly met 
in "His Majesties' Royall College of William and Mary," until October, 1705, 
when it met for the first time in the new capitol. The capitol building opposite 
the college was burned in 1746, and having been rebuilt, was burned again in 1832, 
and a female seminary built upon the site. The palace of the governor of the 
colony was situated on Palace Green, the site now occupied by a school, the 
property of William and Mary College. 

A magazine was erected in 1714, which long known as "the powder horn," was 
falling into ruins, when is was repaired by the Society for the Preservation of Vir- 
ginia Antiquities, and is now used as a museum, and viewed with much interest 
by visitors. The beautiful old church, Bruton, with tombs more than two hundred 
years old; the former residence of Chancellor Wythe; the headquarters of Wash- 
ington, in 1787; the house where Lafayette was entertained during his last visit 
to America — all are points of interest in the old Williamsburg. 

The contrast with the new is striking, and in this era of progress still more 
interesting as follows: 

The Peninsula Bank, organized in April, 1897, with a capital of $10,000, has 
now a capital of $30,000, with a surplus fund in excess of its capital. The deposits 
are over $300,000. The Banking Company of L. L. Dirrickson, Jr., with main 
office on Chincoteague Island, Accomac county, has a branch in Williamsburg, 
established in 1904, which also does a good business. Each bank has a substantial 
brick building in the center of the town. 

The census of 1910, gives 2,714 as the population. 

The principal industrial establishment is that of the Williamsburg Knitting Mill 
Company, which has 160 employees, male and female. This concern is capitalized 
at $80,000, and shipped men's winter underwear to the amount of $200,000 in 1905, 
consignments going chiefly to the large cities of the middle western United States, 
and the cities on the eastern coast of the country The demand for the product 
is always far in excess of the supply, so the production has to be greatly increased 
each year. This concern paid out $40,000 in wages in 1905. 

There are a number of sawmills near Williamsburg, which find their way to mar- 
ket through the city, and whose employees live there. The largest of these is the 
permanent and modernly equipped plant of Bozarth Bros., which turns out all 
kinds of rough lumber and finished products in wood. 

The Galba Vaiden Ice Factory supplies the city and adjoining counties with 
its product. 

The Williamsburg Warehousing Company has a fireproof brick warehouse 
for public storage. This was built in 1906. 

The public schools of the city are of a very high grade, and the amount spent 
by the municipality is twenty-five per cent, larger than that spent by any place 
of approximately the same size in the State. The primary grades, to which a 
modern kindergarten is attached, are managed in conjunction with the college 
as a model school, only highly trained and well-paid teachers being employed, 
and the methods and equipment are on a par with those of the very best and 
most modern city system in the United States. 

William and Mary College, antedating Harvard in all respects, except the 
actual date of its charter (1619), is too well known to be described. Its history is the 
history of the United States and Virginia, and it claims among its alumni such men 
as Presidents Jefferson, Monroe and Tyler, Chief Justice Marshall, General Winfield 
Scott, besides a host of others. 

Its present is less known than its past, but the facts are there with its roll of 250 
students (1905-06) it is the largest college in Virginia, outside of the technical 
and professional schools. It is a high-grade college and its students take high 
rank at the largest universities of the country. It has an appropriation of $25,000 
from the State, in return for which it maintains a high-grade normal college and 
practice school. 

As a commercial asset, it brings about an expenditure of about $50,000 to 
$50,033 per annum to the city. 

The Eastern State Hospital (for the insane), the oldest in the United States, 



271 

cannot be classed under the heads just considered, but its 700 patients and 100 
employees constitute a distinctly valuable commercial asset of the city in that 
their care and maintenance bring about the expenditure of $80,000 per annum, a 
portion of which Williamsburg gets the benefits of. 

Two weekly papers flourish here, the Old Virginia Gazette, established in 1730, 
and the Williamsburg Sun, established in 1906, one hundred and seventy years 
later. 

Williamsburg, long regarded as the private domain of students of historical 
antiquities, has become, within the past few years, one of the most thriving and 
growing places in Virginia. 



WINCHESTER. 



Winchester, the county seat of Frederick — the most northern county of Vir- 
ginia — is an incorporated city and has a population of over 7,500. 

Its history dates back to March 9, 1743, when its first court was held and certain 
lots were laid out, upon condition that the owners should at once build thereon. 
Since then it has been the center of historic interest of this section, receiving 
its charter as a city in 1852. It was the contested point of both armies during 
the Civil War, and changed hands seventy-two times. Its growth was slow 
after the war until 1902; since the latter date it has increased its population over 
one-half, and its taxable basis nearly double. The tax rate for city purposes is 
only eighty-five cents on the $100, and the assessed values are low. 

This city is the metropolis for the lower Shenandoah valley, famous for its beauti- 
ful and varied scenery, and the fertility of its soil. It has been said that anything 
that would grow in the Temperate Zone can be grown successfully in Frederick 
county. 

Winchester is the market town for the several counties, both in Virginia and 
West Virginia, lying adjacent to Frederick county — Clarke, Warren and Shenan- 
doah, in Virginia, and Hampshire, Hardy, Warren and Berkley in West Virginia, 
and a large trade is tributary to this city over its two railroads and its splendid 
and well metaled pikes. 

These eight roads are macadamized and radiate from Winchester to every 
point of the compass. In October last the Good Roads Automobile Contest 
of the New York Herald and Atlanta Journal was run through Winchester, because 
the roads were the best that could be found. The road from Gettysburg, Pa., 
through Charleston, W. Va., to Winchester, and thence to Staunton, Va., has been 
declared a part of the national highway between these two cities. The excellence 
of the roads and the beauty of the scenery through this section make it most 
attractive for automobiles, and the advertisement from this contest will cause 
many more to select this highway for an outing. An equally good road from 
Harrisburg, Pa., extends through Winchester on to Staunton thus furnishing a 
choice of routes. 

Situated at an elevation of 740 feet above sea level and between the foothills of 
the Alleghanies and the Blue Ridge, Winchester is noted as a healthy city, and its 
health is promoted by its well drained streets. A sanitary sewerage will be com- 
pleted by January 1, 1910, and everything is done by the city government, aided 
by the efficient State Health Board, to promote the sanitary condition of the city. 
Attracted by its pure air and water and its social life, many visitors are weaned 
from their former homes to rent houses here or build their own homes. At the 
present writing, though late for building (November 23d) a costly house is being 
erected for a former resident of Philadelphia, Pa. 

The city has and owns a large auditorium, seating 720, and being only eighty- 
five miles from Washington, its theatre-goers enjoy the latest plays. Fourteen 
active churches of every denomination draw their worshippers each Sabbath, 
and one male and two female schools, both private, drawing scholars from many 
States, with its public school system, supply its educational needs. The public 
school buildings are large, modern and commodious. In addition, the Handley 
Library, built and endowed by a fund left the city by Judge John Handley, of 



272 

Scranton, Pa., is nearing completion. This splendid building cost over $130,000 
and is fireproof. It contains, besides all the rooms necessary for an up-to-date 
library, a large and beautifully frescoed audience room, where it is proposed to 
give lectures by prominent lecturers at frequent intervals. In addition to the 
sum left for the building and endowment of this building and library, Judge 
Handley left the remainder of his estate, amounting to over one million dollars, 
"for the erection and maintenance of industrial schools for the poor of Winchester." 

In 1902, Winchester had two banks, with a capital of $150,000 and deposits 
of $821,000. It now has three banks, with a capital of $400,000 and deposits of 
over two and one-half millions. 

A large flouring mill has been successfully operated here for many years, ship- 
ping its production of two hundred barrels per day to all parts of the country. 
Its textile industries employ several hundred operatives and are operated by the 
Virginia Woolen Company and the Lewis Jones Knitting Company, the former 
with a weekly pay roll of over $1,100, and the latter over $700. The home office 
of the Winchester and Washington City Kailroad Company is located here, and 
this company supplies electricity, generated by water of the Shenandoah river, 
to the above-mentioned companies at so low a cost that they have discarded steam 
power. In addition to supplying these companies, electricity is furnished many 
large enterprises in Martinsburg and Charlestown, W. Va., and Berryville, Va. 
The city is lighted by electricity furnished by this company, at an annual cost 
of $50 per lamp for all and each night of the year. An electric railway will soon 
be built by this company from this city to Bluemont, connecting there with the 
Southern for Washington, D. C. 

Two large wholesale grocery houses, one with a dry goods branch, supply the 
merchants of this and the sorrounding counties with their goods, and enjoy a large 
and lucrative business. Its many retail stores, carrying wares of all kinds, supply 
in competition with the large department stores of Baltimore, the people with 
goods, suited to the wants of all purses. 

Two large planing mills and three lumber yards furnish building material for 
weather boarded houses, and a large brick yard and two manufacturers of cement 
blocks supply the demand for more fireproof buildings. 

One daily newspaper, the Evening Star, furnishes news to its people. 
" The city lies in the heart of the apple belt, and its output of apples this year 
brought in over $350,000 of outside money. One orchardist sold from his orchard 
more than six thousand barrels at $3.50 per barrel on the cars here, and realized 
from them and his drop apples more than $25,000. 

The city of Winchester and the county of Frederick offer exceptional oppor- 
tunities for investment, and manufacturers desiring to locate will be welcomed, 
and eveiy inducement offered them. At present any manufacture, employing 
men with families, would be especially welcome, as girls are needed in the textile 
works and can find ready employment. 



t 



40° 



a 



THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION 

WRITE FOR INFORMATION TO G. W. KOINER, COMMISSIONER, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 




49 60 61 



L8 Ap ^ 



